Lawmakers in Sydney have “declared war on casino operators,” reports the Sydney Morning Herald, with two casino towers in their sights.
When complete, the controversial towers under development by the Star Entertainment Group and Crown Resorts will be positioned at opposite sides of Darling Harbour. Councillor Philip Thalis, who is also an architect, said the Star’s $500 million 237-meter (777.5 foot) tower, which will be more than 200 meters higher than its neighbors, is akin to “some megalomaniac’s sundial, progressively casting its shadows across Pyrmont and the waterfront.”
Opinions differ markedly on the projects. Patricia Forsythe, executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber, has said the Star development “hits the mark.”
“Sydney’s economy is anchored in the service economy and we cannot be half-hearted about development,” Forsythe said last fall. But at the same time, Alex Greenwich, independent member for Sydney, called the tower “inappropriate and destructive.”
“The proposed development breaches height, floor space and zoning restrictions; it fails to represent any strategic planning for the region and has no planning merit,” he wrote in a letter to New South Wales Planning Minister Anthony Roberts. Greenwich said the tower would be an “aesthetic disgrace” and create “serious impacts” on nearby communities.
In February, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore attacked the Star tower, saying the company “used a loophole in the now repealed state planning system to request a radically different change to an old development approval for a 10-story tower and hotel,” Moore said.
A Star spokesman replied, “We take offense at any suggestion we are leveraging so-called loopholes in the process. There is no loophole. We are following the correct planning pathway as determined by the Department of Planning.”
Moore was not persuaded by Star’s defense. She called the process “a scandalous abuse of the planning system” and said it will have “a significant impact on surrounding areas, affecting residential amenity, overshadowing the public domain and changing the identity of Pyrmont forever.”
Crown’s AU$2 billion Barangaroo complex has also faced criticism for its height. Barangaroo has been opening in stages; when finished in 2024, it will be the tallest structure in Sydney. Opponents have called it a “monster” development and “a shocking breach of the public trust.”
