NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has been quite stubborn with regards to the release of Deloitte’s report on Crown Ltd’s proposal for a high-roller casino in Barangaroo. For the past month, he has refused to publish the report, despite urging from local politicians and residents. Now, the opposition has gotten serious about the situation, as the Labor party threatens to withdraw its support for the proposal if the report is not released.

When James Packer first introduced the idea of a high-roller casino, Labor supported the plan. The new gambling venue was meant to attract players with lots of money to spend, offering them a world-class casino and hotel. The proposal touted the property’s ability to greatly boost tourism revenue, and Packer stated that the hotel would not be financially viable without the casino. Initially, the opposition was on board.

Now, the group is second-guessing its decision to support the plan after O’Farrell has refused to publish the results of a report on the casino’s proposal. Last year, Deloitte was hired to conduct an inquiry into the proposal, determining the financial and societal impacts of the new casino. The report was finished at the beginning of 2013, but the Premier has refused to release the findings.

“While Labor has approached the Crown proposal with an open mind, ongoing secrecy on the part of the government will make it difficult for Labor to give the proposal bipartisan support in the Parliament,” says Labor spokesperson Luke Foley. It certainly seems as though O’Farrell has something to hide.

If the casino will only bear positive benefits for the local community, there should be no reason that the report should remain confidential. If it does, however, Labor will withdraw its support for the casino and Premier will have to look elsewhere for backing. The only other option is the Green Party, but they have also stood behind Labor, requesting that the report be released before a final decision is made about the casino’s construction.

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George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.