[COM] Adelaide Oval Redevelopment

[rhino]

“They could chop down every tree and concrete the parklands and while there would be public outrage, there’s nothing we could do.”

Scaremongering. And stupid.

[spiller]

that woman is dilerious. "they could chop down every tree and concrete the entire area if they wanted to" . Talk about going off topic to get your point across, using a potential example that is highly unlikely and clearly not the intentions of the government. That sort of thinking is the real anti-progession stuff that everyone talks about. thankfully they are a dying breed in South Australia of late

[AtD]

Maybe she thought this was real?

[metro]

that evil state government chopped down trees and filled the middle of north tce and king william street with concrete, steel and awful overhead wiring

wasnt Anne Moran also opposed to both extensions of the tram line?

[pushbutton]

Since the SACA vote, SkyCity has announced that its $250 million expansion is on hold indefinitely. I wonder if their preferential tax arrangement was not extended..

Not what I read in the news after the vote. As I understand it Skycity are keen to go ahead with the expansion asap. Has that changed now?

[Adelarch]

From the City Messenger
Cr Anne Moran said any move to strip the council of its control over the parklands was “absolutely outrageous”.

“It’s so undemocratic, it’s unbelievable,” Cr Moran said.

Mmm, and a small group of residents from a particular suburb of Adelaide having control over not only the entire Parklands but also the Adelaide CBD is of course completely democratic…

[stumpjumper]

Pokies laws puts SkyCity Casino expansion upgrade on hold

The Advertiser May 09, 2011

Business Reporter Russell Emmerson

SkyCity will hold off its $250 million expansion of Adelaide Casino until new federal gambling laws are finalised.

While SACA's approval of the $535 million Adelaide Oval redevelopment was thought to be crucial to a renewed Adelaide venue, the group told investors it was now waiting on Federal and State Governments to come to the table.

The development of pre-commitment limits under the "Gillard/Wilkie Government" - especially the threat of compulsory pre-commitment by punters - presented the industry with an uncertain outlook, especially when teamed with sluggish retail spending, the group said.

Even if the Government's proposal were watered down - an unlikely outcome given the Government's promise to independent Andrew Wilkie in return for his support to govern - SkyCity would continue its campaign against South Australian gambling taxes.

SA has the "tightest regulatory framework in Australasia", the company said, with significant restrictions on the games that could be played and, at 43.5 per cent, the region's highest rate of gaming tax.

SkyCity chairman Rod McGeoch and managing director Nigel Morrison met with Treasurer Jack Snelling and Gambling Minister Gail Gago in March to push for lower taxes to recognise its quarter of a billion dollar investment.

Perhaps the Casino is playing bluff poker (or blackmail), looking for advantages to reduce the impact of the pre-commitment limits it looks as though Gillard will bring in to keep sweet with Mr Wilkie. Wilkie's demands are the only relevant change to the landscape since SkyCity announced its planned expansion.

SkyCity chairman Rod McGeoch and managing director Nigel Morrison met with Treasurer Jack Snelling and Gambling Minister Gail Gago in March to push for lower taxes to recognise its quarter of a billion dollar investment.

That sounds like the personnel required to extend the casino's preferential taxation arrangement (ie tax holiday). I wonder if they will meet again to discuss offsets for Gillard's pre-commitment rules?

[notmichaeljfox]

In the Adelaide Now version http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6057572174, most of the commenters want the State Government to take it over. It seems to have backfired!

[Omicron]

Apologies for the digression...

Gambling is brilliant. I fully support any attempt by SkyCity to rectify any discrepancy between South Australian gambling regulation and that of other states, especially given the appeal of Crown/Burswood/Star City versus our wee little venue - even more so now that Macau is such a close, gigantic venue.

[Matt]

Oh, give it a bloody rest with the scaremongering, Moran.

[Matt]

From the City Messenger
Cr Anne Moran said any move to strip the council of its control over the parklands was “absolutely outrageous”.

“It’s so undemocratic, it’s unbelievable,” Cr Moran said.

Mmm, and a small group of residents from a particular suburb of Adelaide having control over not only the entire Parklands but also the Adelaide CBD is of course completely democratic…

+1

[omada]

To be honest I really couldn't give a tinkers cuss about the Skycity expansion, it will be an extension of what? - Pokies. It will hardly resemble something out of a 60's bond movie, we are not taking about class or style, been to Crown in Melbourne lately? I can't believe skycity have the gall to try and wrangle more government concessions, they are very fortunate as it is being granted such an opportunity.

[Prince George]

To be honest I really couldn't give a tinkers cuss about the Skycity expansion, it will be an extension of what? - Pokies. It will hardly resemble something out of a 60's bond movie, we are not taking about class or style, been to Crown in Melbourne lately?

+1, and furthermore, from The Economist - Gambling: The biggest losers

Think you know who the world’s biggest gamblers are?

ARE you an American who lost the month’s rent in Las Vegas? A Briton whose sure thing missed at the Grand National? You are not, alas, in particularly good company among your countrymen. Vegas and the high-street bookies take in plenty of cash, but measured proportionally to population—net spending in the country’s legal forms of betting divided by the number of residents over age 16—America and Britain lag not merely Australia and Hong Kong, but also Scandinavia and Finland. Macau and Monaco, which derive nearly all of their gambling revenue from tourists, do not make the list. Seeing Singapore so near the top is surprising, but don’t get used to it. Three years ago the country had no casinos; today the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa alone nearly outgross the entire Las Vegas Strip, but outside of Macau they enjoy first-mover advantage in betting-mad Asia. Western-style hotel-casino complexes are being built in Vietnam and the Philippines. Developers salivate at the prospect of markets opening in India and Japan. Singapore has had a lucky run, but lucky runs don’t last.

[Waewick]

haha!

and they say we are not world leaders

[Wayno]

wowza! is that really $1200 per resident. With our population of 23 million people that equates to $2.76b dollars! I'd like to see a detailed breakdown of those numbers. I bet it's something like 20% of our population are responsible for 80% of losses.