Star Casino-owner Echo Entertainment has claimed that rival Crown Resorts’ plans for a casino in Sydney, Australia, are “legally flawed.”
Legal advice provided to the planning department of Echo Entertainment says the Crown Sydney resort would be open to court challenge. The advice questions the scale of the environmental impacts of the new proposal given the increased height and density of the buildings proposed for Barangaroo South under the plan.
The new concept plan would result in a 7.4 per cent increase in gross floor area for Barangaroo, including raising the height of Crown CEO James Packer's hotel and casino building from 168m to 275m.
The advice suggests the government's decision to grant Packer a casino licence before the concept plan application is considered puts in doubt the Planning Minister's ability to be impartial in his decision making.
Crown Sydney CEO Rowen Craigie hit back at the claims as underhanded business tactics to fend off a fellow competitor. "I consider this a blatant misuse of the planning process by the Star Casino to try and protect their existing monopoly and delay much-needed competition in Sydney's VIP gaming market," he said.
