Casino In Sunshine Coast
In recent months, there have been numerous statements made by certain State and Federal Members of Parliament and promoted through the local media that the Sunshine Coast Council has plans for a casino in the Maroochydore City Centre.
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But as I have repeatedly said in public forums and in a range of media responses over the last few months there is no proposal to establish a casino in the Maroochydore City Centre.
I have also repeatedly made it clear that neither Council nor SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd can introduce, establish or approve the development and operation of a casino in the Maroochydore City Centre.
The State Government approves casino licences and the State Government is the approval authority for all development in the Maroochydore City Centre – not Council.
Furthermore, the State Government is only allocating two casino licences and these have been committed to the Gold Coast and Cairns.
Notwithstanding this, I continue to see statements from certain Sunshine Coast-based Members of Parliament which seek to deliberately mislead our community by promoting the notion that Council is looking to establish a casino in the Maroochydore City Centre.
As recently as the last two days, there have been two media statements from the Member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson, referring to Council’s plans to establish a casino as part of our efforts to see a convention and exhibition centre developed in Maroochydore.
This is despite the fact that I have written to Ms Simpson on at least two occasions in the last six weeks rejecting her suggestions in this regard.
Furthermore, this week the Federal Member for Fisher has circulated a brochure to my fellow Councillors encouraging them to attend his “Say No to Council’s Casino” forum on 17 April 2018.
Understandably, some of my Councillor colleagues are asking the question – what is it with these people that they continue to deliberately mislead the community?
Their efforts are clearly designed to cover up their own inability to provide critical community infrastructure and discredit myself and the Council I lead. They seek to undermine the work Council have done as a team over the last six years to transform the region’s economy, build confidence, encourage investment in new businesses and infrastructure, generate jobs, improve community facilities and protect our natural assets.
Quite simply, their motivation is purely and blatantly political.
Our community deserves better from the people that they elect to represent them.
And most importantly, our community has every right to expect that they will told the truth by their members of Parliament.
I am therefore today releasing the most recent letter I have received from the Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development, the Honourable Kate Jones, verifying there is no casino licence available for any part of the Sunshine Coast.
The words are there in black and white, without qualification.
They reflect a discussion I had with her on 7 March 2018.
I am not ordinarily in the habit of releasing the correspondence we have with Ministers.
However, I cannot sit back and allow others to continually mislead our community.
There is no casino licence available for any part of the Sunshine Coast.
That is what I have been saying for some time. It is what I have repeatedly told the media and our community.
And it is what the Minister has confirmed in her most recent correspondence to me on this matter.
What this also means is that we now look to Ms Simpson and her colleagues to outline their plans for how the Sunshine Coast can secure government funding for a convention and exhibition centre.
This might seem odd, but I have to ask the question, isn’t that what we elect them to do?
As your State member of Parliament Ms Simpson and her colleagues are responsible for spending 15 cents in every dollar of tax you pay.
Casino Sunshine Coast Bc
By Comparison Council spends 3 cents and in addition to all it’s responsibilities it also manages 25% of the region’s infrastructure.
The Federal Government is responsible for spending the remaining 82 cents of your tax dollars.
Not surprisingly, we have seen no plans from Ms Simpson - no plans in the 25 years that she has represented her electorate of Maroochydore.
Her only “plan” – if you can call it that – is that Council must contribute to the cost of building a convention and exhibition centre.
Well Council is already contributing – by providing the land, developing the specifications, progressing the business case and, in all likelihood, having to carry the ongoing capital and maintenance costs of the facility – which will not be insignificant.
This has not been expected of a number of other Councils around Queensland.
Yet Ms Simpson, who represents residents of the Sunshine Coast, is more than happy to insist that our ratepayers foot the bill when she and her colleagues have not insisted on the same elsewhere.
We are eager to see her plan for funding this facility – and what she will do as the elected State representative to secure government funding for a convention and exhibition centre.
Sunshine Coast Casino in Maroochydore.
Is There A Casino In Sunshine Coast
Every few years this debate fires up. We get a dozen news stories and someone proposing a Sunshine Coast Casino, followed by a bunch of negative stories about how bad it would be for the region.
Well here we are again. It is early 2018. The new Maroochydore CBD is taking shape, called Suncentral CBD. This ultramodern precinct is supposed to feature many businesses, accommodation and attractions with one being a proposed entertainment centre and casino complex.
The first we heard about the new proposal was a news story on Nov 18 2017. A delegation from Malaysia met with Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson to discuss a possible casino resort at Maroochydore. Almost immediately, we had Andrew Wallace (member for Fisher) with a petition against a casino on the Sunshine Coast.
Mr Wallace has 5200 signatures against a Sunshine Coast Casino, but a petition is very one sided. It did not give me the option to say that I wanted a casino. Obviously, I did not sign it. Maybe there were 20,000 people that felt like me but could not voice their opinion. I don’t think that 5200 signatures represents the community.
If Mr Wallace is concerned about people with a gambling problem, then why is it that most of his constituency is within a 5 minute drive to a pub or club with poker machines. I can walk to 2 venues in 20 minutes or drive to 6 or more in 5-7 minutes (yes I live within his constituency).
Mr Wallace also states that it will lead to an increase in crime in the area. In most cases, casino’s have police working within the establishment. The Casino operator helps by providing surveillance when there is need. A casino may actually help to clean up crime in the area. I remember an instance when I worked in Melbourne Casino where the casino gaming staff and surveillance staff were instrumental in the capture of an Asian drug kingpin who had 5 million dollars of heroin in boot of his car outside on the street.
At least a casino would add a bit of class to the area. Casino tables are an exciting form of entertainment with a much lower percentage profit than poker machines. Gaming tables require staff and supervisors which means employment whereas a poker machine just sits there with 1 staff member to 30+ machines.
A Yes or No Poll.
I have set up a casino poll on another website called SunshineCoastCasinos.com.au. Follow this link to vote, a poll gives you the opportunity to vote yes or no to see if there is community support for a casino in the SunCentral CBD development.
It seems like Mayor Mark Jamieson will be meeting with the public and some experts in the near future about this issue.
I believe that an area like the Sunshine Coast where we have minimal industry and rely on tourism, would benefit greatly from a casino complex. (as long as Clive Palmer is not involved!!)
Lets hope it gets the Go ahead.
For disclosure purposes I would like to say that I have worked within the casino industry. I have been part of the opening team for 3 major Australian casino’s. My wife (and I) operate a business that offers casino themed entertainment to Sunshine Coast and Brisbane regions. Our business is called Wild Diamonds Fun Casino (That’s most likely why you are on this website). We do support a casino operation on the Sunshine Coast (with minimal poker machines).
Ian Hazzard.