Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has revealed that its long-awaited AU$3.6 billion (US$2.4 billion) Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development, to be known as The Star Brisbane, will finally open its doors to the public from 29 August.
Two years after it was initially slated for completion, the substantial riverside complex will open in phases with initial attractions and facilities to include the main gaming floor, Star Grand Hotel, event center, Sky Deck public viewing platform, some bars and restaurants, and a linked pedestrian bridge and bikeway.
Remaining bars and restaurants plus a large public space will open progressively throughout September and October.
“Public spaces will be among the first areas to be opened and that includes the viewing platform on Sky Deck, Miller Park and of course the Neville Bonner Bridge linking Queen’s Wharf to South Bank,” said Star Brisbane CEO Daniel Finch, as reported by The Brisbane Times.
“Like the rest of Brisbane, I am excited for this game-changing development to invigorate the CBD, including our nighttime economy, and we will soon announce more exact dates for the diary.”
Star said it would soon close down its existing Brisbane casino, Treasury Brisbane, in anticipation of the new casino opening.
The Queen’s Wharf development is a joint venture project owned 50% by Star and 25% each by Hong Kong jewelry giant Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and real estate company Far East Consortium – both of which also have gaming interests elsewhere.
Chow Tai Fook was recently cleared to retain its interest in the project following an investigation by the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) into allegations it had links to Asian-based junkets, including Suncity Group and its now incarcerated CEO, Alvin Chau. The inquiry found there was insufficient evidence to find the company unsuitable to be associated.
Star, meanwhile, continues to face its own regulatory headwinds with a report stemming from a recent second inquiry into its suitability to hold a casino license in NSW for The Star Sydney due to be submitted around the same time as its new Brisbane flagship opens.
Addressing this issue, Finch said, “We are subject to regulatory and government approvals and as such our remediation is crucial and will ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes.
“We have a responsibility to our community, our guests and our team members to be better and provide the safest environment possible across the entire business.”
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