Against all odds: Millions over budget, years behind schedule but finally our Star has arrived
The $3.6 billion Brisbane riverfront casino precinct will open after eight years of construction but questions remain over its viability.
Aerial view of the Queens Wharf entertainment precinct in Brisbane. (AAP Image/Supplied by the Star Brisbane)
The staged opening of the Queens Wharf hub in the city’s CBD began on Thursday, offering the Star Grand Hotel and casino, Sky Deck public viewing platform, event centre and bikeway.
Only seven of the more than 50 restaurants, cafes, and bars will be open to visitors on day one.
But Star Brisbane CEO Daniel Finch said it would be exciting for the community to have a new offering every time they visit.
“From day one … it’s going to feel rather complete to anyone that walks through,” he told ABC Radio.
“As it evolves, you’ll have new experiences each time you visit.”
Many dining, shopping and retail spaces also remain untenanted.
The Neville Bonner Bridge connecting the south of the river to the north has also opened which the premier called a “wonderful legacy” piece of infrastructure.
“We’ve been talking for some time about our vision of the city with high-quality precincts linked together with active travel and public transport links, and the heart of that vision starts to come together over the next few days,” Steven Miles told reporters
However, controversy still shrouds the casino precinct with the future of the Star in NSW and Queensland in question.
The Queensland government fined the Star in Brisbane and the Gold Coast $100 million in 2022 after a review found the casinos had “major failings” in anti-money laundering attempts and responsible gaming efforts.
The government had initially decided to slap a 90-day ban on both casinos in December 2023 but has delayed the suspension until the end of 2024 as the state government awaits the outcome of a NSW inquiry.
The Treasury casino in Brisbane has since closed in favour of the new casino at Queens Wharf which will operate under the government’s approved remediation plan and the the oversight of the regulator.
Mr Finch argued the new casino is up to scratch with regulations and is fit to operate.
“We’ve been working extremely closely with the regulator, transparently, openly,” he said.
“We’ve bolstered our teams in the anti-money laundering area, the counter-terrorism financial area.
“We’ve reformed our business.”
He said the Queens Wharf precinct was about entertainment, not gambling.
“We’ve diversified revenue … it’s just not about the casino, particularly with Queens Wharf, the casino is only 5 per cent of the whole entire precinct.”
