Tourism Minister Kate Jones says new global tourism hub won’t need more pokies to be a success
THE State Government wants to deliver a new ‘global tourism hub’ integrated resort on the Gold Coast, writes Kate Jones. But she says there is a good reason why she won’t support more pokie machines on the Gold Coast.
Opinion
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I WANT to see more tourism jobs on the Gold Coast.
That’s why I am committed to working with investors to deliver more world-class tourism experiences in this city.
Following the Commonwealth Games, more global players than ever before are keen to invest in the Coast.
As has been reported previously in the Gold Coast Bulletin, the Government is considering going to market for a new global tourism hub on the Gold Coast to deliver an integrated resort, similar to what Star Entertainment is building in Brisbane right now.
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A casino is part of Star’s integrated resort in Brisbane but will also create about 10,000 new jobs, deliver five- and six-star hotels, residential development, restaurants and bars, retail, open public space and gaming.
While a new global tourism hub on the Gold Coast may include a casino as part of the resort development, I made it clear at Estimates this week that I would not support an increase in gaming machines — given there are already more than 7600 pokies on the Gold Coast.
The biggest entertainment companies on the planet no longer rely on poker machines as their primary source of revenue. It’s an antiquated model.
If we allow a global tourism hub on the Coast, we will prioritise new tourism infrastructure that is proven to attract more visitors who stay longer and spend more.
I recently met with Hard Rock International. Everyone knows the Hard Rock brand — it’s one of the largest entertainment and lifestyle companies in the world.
Right now, they are delivering the first integrated resort in Europe and their flagship integrated resort in Hollywood is undergoing a multibillion-dollar expansion.
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They are keen to build an integrated resort in Australia and they tell me the Gold Coast is the front runner.
In Cairns, we are already undertaking public consultation and an expressions of interest process.
We have not started public consultation for a new global tourism hub on the Gold Coast.
As the minister, I want to assure all Gold Coast residents that no decision has been made about whether the city should have a global tourism hub or a second casino. This would only be done with extensive community consultation.
As with all major decisions, it’s important we work with the Gold Coast community to get this right from the start.
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