The federal government of Australia gave environmental approval to the A$8.15-billion project for the construction of Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort, which is to be located north of Cairns, Queensland.
Now, billionaire Tony Fung, who is in charge of the major project, needs to be given the green light by the state of Queensland in order to be able to proceed with the development of the casino.
Pat Flanagan, who was appointed as Project Director back in February, said that it might take months before the state government gives Aquis the necessary approval. Mr. Flanagan explained that after the environmental and planning matters were settled, the only thing that needs finalization is the casino agreement.
He said that Aquis is working closely with Queensland officials and that he hopes the agreement will be inked as soon as possible.
If Mr. Fung’s casino proposal gets the green light, Aquis will be able to proceed with the construction of the gambling venue.
Not long ago, the government of Queensland rejected a proposal for the launch of a gambling venue on the Gold Coast. Officials are also expected to announce which one of two bidders is to win a license for the construction of a casino in Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane. Echo Entertainment and Crown Group are the two competing developers.
Mr. Flanagan said that the environmental approval from the federal government was indicative of the fact that the proposed resort complied with regulations regarding the preservation of the Great Barrier Reef and the tropic rainforests.
According to the information posted on Aquis’ official site, the first phase of the new resort would annually generate almost A$1 billion in gross regional product. Once the property is fully operational, the amount is expected to increase to more than A$10 billion per year.
Furthermore, the project is to create about 10,000 new jobs for residents of the state.
As mentioned above, the resort would be built in two phases. Phase one is to feature as many as 4,000 hotel rooms, numerous entertainment and dining options, as well as a large casino floor. The project aims at attracting both domestic and international customers. According to initial predictions, up to 1 million guests will annually visit Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort.
The project is to be completed sometime in 2018.
