Packer's Project Faces Legal Proceedings

Legal proceedings have been served to Crown Group challenging the validity of the approval of Packer's $2bn casino and apartment complex.

The company received proceedings from Millers Point Fund Incorporated challenging the validity of the decision of the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (“PAC”) to approve the applications for the modification of the approved concept plan for Barangaroo and for the construction of the Crown Sydney Hotel Resort at Barangaroo South.

Millers Point claims fundamental errors were made in the way it considered the development.

The legal proceedings name the Minister for Planning, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, Lendlease (Millers Point) Pty Ltd and Crown Sydney Property Pty Ltd as respondents.

Crown's statement said the company would "defend these proceedings vigorously". The first return date for the legal proceedings in the Land and Environment Court of NSW is 26 August 2016.

The legal action acts as a bar to development, placing a further hurdle in its path towards opening.

Comprising a casino and 350-room hotel, the project had been described by the PAC as being "of iconic standing and design excellence".

Proceedings will commence August 26.
Support for the project
Back in June, many organisations praised the initial approval the project and master plan received, with Urban Taskforce commenting the approval marked "good news for Sydney’s global city status".

“The improvements made by the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) to the public spaces at Barangaroo will make the parklands and foreshore promenade even better,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson.

“The PAC was clearly very positive about the design of Crown Sydney seeing it as ‘a sculptural and elegant signature building on the foreshore’.” “The Urban Taskforce has supported the Crown Sydney building as an iconic building form on the waterfront and it is good to see that the PAC also takes this position.

"Some critics of the design preferred the building to be relocated at the back of the site where it would be less prominent but this misunderstands the role of signature buildings which are displayed proudly by global cities across the world.” “Sydney now needs to get on with the process of building Crown Sydney and advancing the construction of Central Barangaroo.”