04 July 2013
The NSW Governments announcement that it will be proceeding with the Crown Proposal at Barangaroo for a VIP gaming and hotel facility rather than the Echo proposal will be a positive input into the Barangaroo project, says the Urban Taskforce.
The Government has come down on the side of diversity by supporting a second casino for VIPs only to balance the Echo project at Star, says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. The Barangaroo site is much more part of the economic centre of the CBD and an upmarket facility at this location will reinforce Sydney as a sophisticated destination for tourists.
˜The Crown / Barangaroo decision demonstrates the importance of the State Governments role in ensuring significant projects, that can reposition Sydney within our region, are considered at the highest level of government supplemented by expert advice. This is the sort of leadership we expect from the State Government.
The Crown proposal also demonstrates the importance of the planning system allowing market place proposals to contribute to the dynamics of the city. Our economy is a market based one that encourages innovation and it is through new proposals like Crowns that can be funded by the private sector that the city evolves.
The announcement of Crown as the proposal the Government will now negotiate on also resolves what could have been an oversupply of new hotels. The new convention centre is proposing at least one, Echo was proposing two new versions plus the Barangaroo site has its hotel approval.
The proposed design for the Barangaroo site still has a lot of work to be undertaken at the ground level to incorporate the southern cove and ensure a quality public domain results. The next step will be to undertake this design work and present this to the public as a planning proposal.
While the Echo proposal has not been supported at this stage they should be encouraged to upgrade their facilities over time.
