The company behind a mega multi-billion dollar resort development in far north Queensland has dumped its flagship casino - for now.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt says the developers of the $8 billion Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort project, north of Cairns, will withdraw from the Integrated Resort Development (IRD) process needed for casino approval.
He says the modified project has a "very strong chance of progressing" if it meets planning prerequisites and construction on a $2 billion first stage could start next year.
"The proponents are very keen to go ahead with it and they're going to get every assistance they can ... from everyone in the Palaszczuk government," he told ABC radio on Thursday.
"What we have is a clear commitment and obviously a very big vote of confidence in Cairns and in far north Queensland."
The company has been in talks with Queensland governments about the project for almost four years and the process has at times stalled.
Mr Pitt says the Palaszczuk government would welcome any future IRD application and denied there'd been "finger pointing" between investors and government.
He also defended the probity process and said it wasn't fair to compare the project with Aquis' purchase and planned smaller-scale development of a casino in Canberra.
"The Queensland government takes the issuing of casino licences very seriously," he said.
"Being a new operator ... meant that there's a range of checks that had to be gone through and that process takes a lot of time."
The development, to be built at Yorkeys Knob, is meant to include 7500 hotel rooms, a convention and exhibition centre, a golf course and an artificial lake and lagoon.
Questions have been raised about the viability of the project, involving 3500 jobs during peak construction, without a casino.
Mr Pitt said he was not going to "second guess" the business decisions of the company.
Share
