Crown Sydney to sue NSW government

Crown Sydney is taking the New South Wales government to court over the new casino’s sight lines.

Crown claims that the Berejiklian government reneged on allowing James Packer’s new casino hotel sight lines to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House from the entire building.

In its statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Crown said:

“The project remains on schedule for completion in the first half of calendar year 2021 and the total gross project cost is expected to be approximately $2.2 billion, with a net project cost of approximately $1.4 billion,

 “Separately, Crown has today commenced proceedings against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority in the Commercial List of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

“The Proceedings seek injunctive relief and declarations against the BDA that in substance require the BDA to comply with a number of its contractual obligations under the Crown Development Act.”

“Those obligations include consulting with Crown about any application for the proposed development of Central Barangaroo that differs from that provided for in the relevant Concept Plan for Central Barangaroo in existence at the time the CDA was entered into, and negotiating in good faith and agreeing with Crown and LendLease any required changes to that application to ensure that sight lines from the Harbour Bridge to the Sydney Opera House are retained by the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort.”

Crown has taken the matter to the Supreme Court in NSW.

It is seeking an injunction on the Barangaroo Development Authority lodging a planning application on the hotel.

Crown’s major concern is that the Barangaroo development has massively increased in size and density. This has seen the BDA doing deals on residential and commercial development with Grocon and Aqualand. As a result, Crown now claims its sight lines have been affected and its hotel rooms will now not have proper views.

Leon Gettler - 9th August 2018