Mr Packer expressed his frustration in December with the slow progress on his casino, telling the Financial Review "Of course it's frustrating. It's been a marathon process to get where we are in Sydney, we proposed the hotel almost four years ago and we are miles behind our opening date schedule. At our end we really want to get moving."

But it appears the delays lie with Lendlease and Crown.

"The Department sent the draft conditions on [Mod 8] to Lendlease on 25 November 2015 and expects a response in the near future," the department said.

The department said it provides draft conditions to applicants of all major project proposals.

Crown executives have held several meetings with Premier Mike Baird in recent months to discuss the casino project.

It is understood Lendlease and Crown have spent the last few weeks working with the architects to ensure all the draft conditions are satisfactorily addressed.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/james-packer-told-to-shrink-podium-in-crown-resorts-and-widen-public-space-at-barangaroo-casino-20160203-gmkib2.html#ixzz3z8rqyfjL
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How much longer must Sydney suffer further outrage at Barangaroo? ("Packer presses his luck for Barangaroo casino", March 30), Is there no end to James Packer's defiant demands which ignore the wider public interest in the pursuit of his own narrow fiscal goals? Barangaroo has isolated Kent Street from Darling Harbour. Seen from Balmain, Lord Richard Rogers' bulky, over-sized, office towers stretch ever upwards in the quest for greater returns, and overshadow and perceptibly diminish Sydney Harbour. Is there no rationale besides money? It makes one long to replace the Department of Planning with an autocrat such as Peter the Great who decreed that no building in St Petersburg should be higher than the Winter Palace. The Sydney Opera House is our Winter Palace. Packer's casino at 271 metres is 2.8 times taller. Instead of aiding and abetting - conniving with Packer - in an outrage that will permanently disfigure our magnificent harbour, the Baird government should stand firm behind its Department of Planning and the advisory panel recommendations. Enough is enough, Packer's way is contrary to the best interests of the people, a civil architecture, and an appropriate regard for scale along the harbor foreshore, keeping in mind the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the CBD itself.

Philip Drew Annandale

Once again, we read how the NSW Planning Department rejected a number of key recommendations by an expert panel to improve the public's appreciation of James Packer's tribute to his own gambling empire. Where is Lucy Turnbull, our well-versed ex-Lord Mayor who's been promoting her role as head of the all-powerful, all integrating new Greater Sydney Commission? Surely her band of highly paid new commissioners can intervene in this process and help co-ordinate how best to cater for Mr Packer's towering ambitionWhy not ask Mr Packer what he plans to give back to the people? Perhaps the GSC could make a solid recommendation that Packer contributes towards adequate public transport into Barangaroo. It baffles me that to this day, an ex-Treasurer like Premier Baird hasn't had the gumption to suggest Mr Packer do this. By 2019, with more than 23,000 workers/visitors heading into Barangaroo daily, no Sydneysider stuck in traffic on the Western Distributor, or squashed on platforms at Wynyard, would require a background in merchant banking to know such a service would've paid for itself.

Nathan English Balmain

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So James Packer has warned the state government his casino is at risk if the podium is not of a certain size. To put it another way, he'd have us believe the whole viability of the project is dependent on being given public land in order to make private profit. If this is the case, it was never a goer in the first place. If the government has any sense, it will tell him to take his den of misery elsewhere.

Anthony Rassias Glebe

The Crown Casino Resort plus added-on many luxury apts were (untransparently) proposed to be adjunct to our luxury hotel. Now we/the taxpayers/the City are threatened we must have a further over-blown, amenity compromising "podium" tower to not squeeze VIP gambling table capacity. No to more and more height!! Surely Crown and Lend Lease can build within the already very excessive guidelines.

Cecile Hunt Paddington

Who is James Packer that he can issue warnings to the government?

Pen Layton-Caisley Marrickville

Big similarities between Turnbull and Packer - both lust for power, both aspire to great wealth, both have contempt for the unions and both are bullies. My way or the highway - or else. For more than 20 years schools have had an Anti Bullying program with the blessing of politicians of all creeds. Shame that Turnbull and Packer missed those lessons.

Margaret Raffle Redfern

A public observation area atop the Crown tower? James Packer's patronising concession to the hoi poloi!

Michael Engelbretsen Bexley

It is highly unlikely that Mr Packer will, under any circumstances, take his Barangaroo bat and ball and go home (wherever that is) no matter what minor alterations may be inflicted on his Grand Design by blinkered bureaucrats. Rather, we're likely to find that such changes "compromise the business plan", only fixed by permission for a few thousand extra poker machines for us non-high-rolling mugs to enjoy, and which the government will be only too glad to grant - "in the public interest". Of course.

Frank McGrath Bulli

Could it really be this simple? Just reduce the size of the casino's podium and James will take his casino away. Yes!!

Geoff Wannan Dawes Point

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/james-packers-odious-podium-problem-20160330-gntx4h.html#ixzz44RMp6cKk
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The hoi poloi is dreaming... The NSW government of Mike Baird will cave in at the knees and add more fake land into the water so that the public , the hoi poloi, can then walk around the James podium-sized requested area.