Friday 29th of March 2024

speedily selling the sydney silver...

selling the silver...

Family silver sold for a song

When I read your report that  the Baird government had sold the Education Department building and the Lands Department building for $35 million, I checked the date, thinking that it must have been April 1 ("Baird's $3b sell-off", January 2-3). Each of those buildings occupies a complete block in  one of the most prestigious parts of the CBD.  Were competitive bids sought before this unbelievable price from a Singaporean hotel developer was accepted? 

On this scale of values the government no doubt will consider selling the Opera House for $1 million and the Sydney Harbour Bridge for, oh say, $50,000.

James Prior Sylvania Waters

There has been an almost complete lack of scrutiny of the O'Farrell and Baird governments' rushed state property sell-off. Just as disgraceful is the privitisation and overdevelopment of iconic public spaces such as Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. As Edward Heath said of privitisation pioneer Margaret Thatcher, "She was selling off the family silver".

Tony Simons Balmain


read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/republic-will-show-we-are-all-grown-up-20160103-glyd7o.html

 

sydney betting wars...

 

Sydney's casino wars are again hotting up as the 2019 deadline for the expiry of Star Entertainment's exclusive licence to run a casino in the emerald city looms.

A plan by Star to rival James Packer's luxury Barangaroo casino and resort, with a 200-metre hotel tower on the opposite shore of Darling Harbour, has been put to the Baird government.

Star says it can tap a shortage of luxury accommodation for well-heeled Chinese tourists in Sydney. Two Hong Kong companies with strong links to the mainland Chinese tourism sector, jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium, are in negotiations with Star Entertainment to expand the Star Casino to a six-star integrated resort.

The three companies are already in a joint venture to build a $3 billion casino and resort in Brisbane at Queens Wharf.

A Star spokesman said Chow Tai Fook has 4 million members, 1.4 million VIP members, and a link with China Travel, which books holidays for 50 million mainland Chinese tourists.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/casino-wars-return-star-wants-to-build-tower-to-rival-packers-barangaroo-resort-20160102-gly484.html#ixzz3wDj9BWah
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