EARLY FESTIVE GIFTS
Casino-hotel precinct revealed plus 47 extra police officers
THE Queensland Government has showered the Far North with two early Christmas presents: a dedicated casino integrated resort precinct and 47 extra police officers.
The “Global Tourism Hub” includes a casino licence and cov- ers more than 4ha on waterfront land on Wharf St from the Hilton hotel to the heritage White’s Shed across from the cruise liner terminal.
The $1 billion hub has been designed to cut through red tape. It’s believed international bidders are lining up.
The 47 police officers will help to cut a soaring property crime spree, mainly involving youth.
Among the officers will be two domestic violence co-ordinators to train fellow police and liaise with various agencies.
It comes as speculation mounts a state election could be called as early as tomorrow.
A SLICE of the Cairns City centre has been for earmarked for an integrated casino and tourism development to rival Brisbane’s $3 billion Queen’s Wharf project.
The State Government will today call for expressions of interest to build a “global tourism hub” encompassing 3.32ha of waterfront land behind the Cairns Cruise Terminal and the 1.1ha site of the current Ports North office.
Far from being a rehash of the failed Aquis casino proposal at Yorkeys Knob, this is state-owned property set aside for development with all the fast-tracked approvals it entails.
The stretch of land reaches past the Pullman Reef Casino to the Cairns Hilton Hotel, opening up options for either entity to expand operations.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the process of garnering interest and public input would start today.
“We recently undertook an international market sounding process and Cairns was one of the clear frontrunners as a location for a new global tourism hub,” she said.
“The GTH process we are announcing today may draw interest for a second or expanded casino operation.
“That’s the sort of infor- mation we need to draw from the market through the expressions of interest process.”
Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the success of the massive Queen’s Wharf project was secured through an identical process.
“Its success was largely due to strong competitor attention, as well as having a government-owned site at the heart of the development,” he said.
The Cairns hub will be smaller than Queen’s Wharf, which covers 12ha of land and 15.3ha of the Brisbane River, but it is still regarded as a billion-dollar project.
The Queen’s Wharf development application includes a casino, resort complex, hotel, bar, park, shops, residential, parking, a microbrewery, power generators, new sewer trunk, a bridge connecting the CBD with South Bank, a major sport, recreation, and entertainment facility.
Mr Pitt said the Cairns hub would be similarly diverse.
“It focuses on tourism as a primary driver with the option of gaming as second,” he said.
“I’m not saying it won’t have gaming elements to it – that’s an option – but what we’re about is building on the great tourism momentum we’ve got.”
Mr Pitt said international interest in Cairns was very real.
“The Cairns City Port precinct is the Government’s and the council’s preferred location and will allow for major tourism and multistorey developments,” he said.