The high roller casino that has been planned for Barangaroo could face delays. James Packer and his development team have yet to receive certain planning permissions from the Australian government, and there are concerns that the venue will not be finished in time for the projected 2020 opening date. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Packer says that he is ‘impatient’.
The Barangaroo casino project is considered a tribute to his late father, Kerry Packer, and he wants to start building right away. "This is very personal for me, my dad would loved to have seen a luxury hotel here under the Crown banner and we want the public to embrace and experience the facility like they have at our resorts in Melbourne and Perth," he says.
However, it seems like it will be quite some time before Packer and his team can break ground on the project. He states that there have been long delays from the New South Wales government, when it has come to receiving planning approval for the Barangaroo Casino. He continues: "It's been a marathon process to get where we are in Sydney, we proposed the hotel almost four years ago and we are miles behind our opening date schedule.
At our end we really want to get moving." Originally, the casino was set to open in 2019 – but a dispute between Lend Lease and Barangaroo Delivery Authority caused a year-long delay. Now, the grand opening date has been pushed to 2020 – and, it could be further postponed if the NSW government does not provide planning approvals soon.
In the meantime, The Star Casino will continue to have exclusivity in Sydney. The casino will maintain its spot as the only casino in the city, attracting both local players and tourists from abroad.
About the Author
