James Packer Secured Sydney 2.2 Billion Casino At Alan Jones apos; House

Billionaire James Packer first outlined his vision for a Sydney casino to then Liberal premier Barry O'Farrell at the harbourside home of broadcaster Alan Jones.
The three men gathered in February 2012 inside Jones's apartment at No 1 Macquarie Street in the Bennelong Apartments building better known as The Toaster. 
At that meeting Packer revealed his dream to build a $1billion hotel, casino and entertainment complex at Barrangaroo on the north-western edge of Sydney's central business district.
Six months later O'Farrell met Packer again and advised him to pursue a new framework for infrastructure developments his government called an 'unsolicited proposals process'. 
A week after the second meeting in August the state government updated that framework in a way which allowed Crown to avoid a tendering process. 
Billionaire James Packer first outlined his vision for a Sydney casino to then Liberal premier Barry O'Farrell at the harbourside home of broadcaster Alan Jones.

The three men gathered in February 2012 inside Jones's apartment in The Toaster. Packer is pictured with Jones in 2006
James Packer outlined his vision to build a $1billion hotel, casino and entertainment complex at Barrangaroo to premier Barry O'Farrell (pictured).

Six months later O'Farrell met Packer again and advised him to pursue an 'unsolicited proposals process'
Packer's $1billion vision turned into a $2.2billion project that has now been clouded by an independent inquiry which found Crown facilitated money laundering at its Melbourne and Perth casinos.

Packer is pictured inspecting the Crown Sydney site in January last year
Packer's $1billion vision turned into a $2.2billion nightmare now further clouded by an independent inquiry which found Crown facilitated money laundering at its Melbourne and Perth casinos.
His meeting with O'Farrell at Jones's home, which is outlined in the inquiry report, gives an insight how big business deals in Sydney are conducted. 
Packer's father Kerry had long wanted to run his own a casino in his hometown but not even his money, power and 바카라사이트추천 connections could get the deal d
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r>That job was left to his only son James, who supposedly used charm over bullying in his negotiations to win the city's second casino lice
r>p>But he too has now faltered, with inquiry commissioner Paddy Bergin finding Crown unfit to operate a casino inside what was meant to be Packer's lasting family monumen
r>p>Commissioner Bergin also found Crown put its staff in China in danger of being detained and dealt with junket operators it was told were involved in organised crim
r>p> Packer put forward his Crown Sydney project in 2012 under a NSW State Government major infrastructure policy for 'unsolicited proposals' which did not require a tendering pro
r>p> James Packer's father Kerry had long wanted to run a casino in Sydney but was denied the opportunit

r>Packer junior wanted to create a lasting legacy in his home
r>p>Her report indicated a slew of serious changes needed to be made to save the embattled casino, starting with sacking CEO Kenneth Bar
r>p>'[Mr Barton] demonstrated that he is no match for what is needed at the helm of a casino Licensee,' Commissioner Bergin's report sta
r>p>'The Authority would be justified in concluding that it cannot have any confidence in dealing with Mr Barton as a director of the Licensee or Cro
r>p>The report also said keeping Michael Johnston and Andrew Demetriou as directors would greatly hinder Crown's efforts to hold a casino lice
r>p>On Wednesday morning, Crown accepted the resignations of directors Mr Johnston and Mr Jall
r>p>The inquiry heard Packer, who quit his executive roles with Crown in November 2018, still held extraordinary influence over the company in which he owned 36 per c
r>p>Stopping the casino could prove costly for taxpayers - Crown has projected the Sydney operation would pay at least $1billion in gaming taxes in its first 15 ye
r>p>Packer's big gamble at Barangaroo has also been costly for Packer but critics say Crown Sydney had unfairly had the cards stacked in its favour from the st
r>p> Crown Sydney (pictured) was originally estimated to cost $1billion. That has now blown out to at least $2.2bil
r>p> Packer's Crown Sydney penthouse, 바카라사이트 which he does not intend occupying anytime soon, features incredible views of the surrounding c


Pictured is an artist's impression of Crown Sydney's apartments showing a bathroom and livi

The 53-year-old's stated vision for Barangaroo has always concentrated on the hotel part of his proposal, rather than the high-rollers' casino, which he said would be necessary to fund the

'We want it to be an iconic building that complements the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House,' he h

Sydney had been home to well-run illegal casinos throughout the 1970s and 1980s and demand for 바카라사이트추천 baccarat and blackjack was never going to dissipate but organised crime could not be pro
y
d.As with other so-called vice industries such as prostitution, successive state governments subtly acknowledged the public accepted they existed and moves were made to legalise and regulate the
de
 Late last century Kerry Packer bid for the first Sydney casino licence but lost out to a Showboat-Leighton Properties consortium in De
er
4. James Packer has said he wants Crown Sydney to stand alongside the Sydney Habour Bridge and Opera House as icons of Australia's biggest

r>
Construction of the project
pi
edA temporary facility known as Sydney Harbour Casino was launched in September 1995 and a permanent structure opened as Star City in Nove
1
 Tabcorp had paid $376million for a 12-year licence to operate Star City - later The Star - after a competitive pu
t
r.That licence was extended by a Labor government in 2007 without going to tender in exchange for $100 million. Echo Entertainment took over The Star's licence from Tabc
in
1.Packer bought a 10 per cent share of Echo in 2012 and had wanted to use it to build a casino at Barangaroo but when Echo's board resisted Packer pursued the licence th
h
n.In January 2012 the Coalition state government introduced its unsolicited proposals policy and Packer was quick to take advantage of the op
un
 The next month, after his meeting with O'Farrell at Jones's home, he proposed building a six-star hotel, casino and entertainment complex on harbourside land set aside for open space at Barangaro
nt
  Packer's stated vision for Barangaroo has always concentrated on the hotel part of his proposal, 온라인바카라 rather than the high-rollers' casino, which he said would be necessary to
the
jectO'Farrell welcomed the approach but said it would still need to gain regulatory a



Public figures including former prime Minister Paul Keating and Lord Mayor Clover Moore were firmly against
deve
ent.Keating, who had a difficult history with the Packer family, was a major force behind the revitalisation of Barangaroo and did not want a casino - or a hotel - built on land reserved as
lic
e. Packer began heavily lobbying the Coalition government, Labor Opposition MPs, the cross bench and construction g
Len
ase.Lend Lease had already won a tender to develop the southern part of the government-owned land at Barangaroo intended to have a hotel - but
a c
o. Among Packer's advisers involved in securing the deal were former Labor party powerbrokers Mark Arbib and Karl Bitar and UBS chief executive
hew
nds.But it was Packer who picked up the phone and organised the meetings with Keating, O'Farrell and Opposition planning and infrastructure spokesman Luke Foley that eventually resulted in bipartisan po
cal
ort. Former prime minister Paul Keating, who had a difficult history with the Packer family, was a major force behind the revitalisation of Barangaroo and did not want a casino - or a hotel - built on land reserved
publ
paceA revised proposal by Packer after wide consultation and compromise would see Crown ask to build its casino with Lend Lease at Bar
roo
h. O'Farrell announced in October 2012 that Cabinet had singed off on the initial assessment of Packer's proposal and the government would begin detailed negotiat
wit
own.At the time O'Farrell addressed concerns other potential operators were being prevented from competing for the state's second
ino
nce.'No one else has come near us over 18 months,'



'I'm not prepared to deal i
poth
als.'We didn't have plans for a six-star world-class integrated resort hotel at Barangaroo with VIP-only g
g fa
ty.'O'Farrell said he doubted another casino would be approved in Sydney if
n wa
ilt.Packer said he was 'incredibly grateful' to both sides of parliament for their backing, which he insisted had not come about due to his per
l in
nce. Packer wrote in an open letter to Sydneysiders in November 2012 that he just wanted to build the world's best six-star hotel



'For a hotel resort in Sydney to be a landmark building that will attract millions of visitors, it must be on Sydney H
ur,'
said'It's not lobbying, it's the strength of a really good
a,'
aid.'I think, frankly, if there was a tender it would be very hard to see how we wou
t ha
on."Packer later said Crown had merely followed the unsolicited pr
als
ess.'Some commentators have raised the process we are undertaking to progress our proposal,' he said in
mber
2. 'The NSW unsolicited proposal process exists to allow any organisation with unique ideas to make a submission to t
over
t. 'We have followed that process to the letter and, despite reaching stage two, there is a
way
go.'Even Keating welcomed the deal when Packer joined with Lend Lease developing the southern end of the
ngar
ite. Packer wrote in an open letter to Sydneysiders in November 2012 that he just wanted to build the world's best six-star
el r
t. 'For a hotel resort in Sydney to be a landmark building that will attract millions of visitors, it must be on Sydney Ha
r,'
aid.'Barangaroo is the only waterfront and harbourside location in the Sydney CBD that will accommodate suc
deve
ent.'We were wrong to have initially designated our proposal on Barangaroo Central and we were rightly admonished by the former prime minister Paul Keating and the state's po
cal
ers.'We listened, took the community's concerns on board and worked hard to strike an agreement with Lend Lease to move the hotel resort to Barangaroo South, where it will reside totally on their commercial site and not
ubli
nd.' O'Farrell announced the Crown proposal would move to stage three in July 2013 after a recommendation from an independent ste
g co
tee.The government was to receive a $100million upfront fee for the casino licence from Crown, despite the same steering committee's economic adviser recommending taking $250million with alternative tax arrangements a
bett
eal.Approval for the casino licence and a building at Barangaroo was announced in November 2013 but Packer was frustrated by delays in starting the project due to governmen
anni
aws.The Planning Assessment Commission gave the go-ahead in June 2016, subject to conditions including that the building had adequate public s
and
ess.Works eventually commenced in October 2016, with the structure topping-out in March la



It is estimated construction has cost $2.2
ion.
   The space Packer purchased in Crown Sydney was originally planned to have six apartments which have been been merged into one giant pe



Pictured is an art
s im
sion