Page 20 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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The Government has also appointed members to the ACT Casino Surveillance Authority chaired by Mr Justice Rae Else-Mitchell, and any decision to proceed with the project is subject to positive recommendations by that authority on the suitability of the consortium concerned. In August 1989 an international marketing campaign was launched, seeking expressions of interest by 6 October 1989. A number of expressions of interest were received, and expressions of interest were assessed against published criteria, with selected consortia invited to the second stage of the process. These consortia were required to provide detailed design and finance submissions by 23 March 1990.
Between 23 March 1990 and 7 September in that year applicants were interviewed by both the design and finance assessment panels and were required to submit revised proposals. I have been advised by the chairman of the interdepartmental committee that a preferred tenderer, submitting a fully conforming bid, has been identified for recommendation to the Government, subject to the finance assessment panel's endorsement of satisfactory financial arrangements and to a positive recommendation from the Casino Surveillance Authority concerning the suitability of that consortium.
The preferred tenderer has advised the interdepartmental committee that it has experienced some difficulty in finalising project finance in a declining property market and in what is generally a subdued Australian economy. It has now confirmed that financial negotiations are close to finality.
It is unfortunate that the selection process has taken longer than I or anybody else had expected; and I have instructed the senior officers responsible for oversighting the project to bring that process to a conclusion as quickly as possible. I must emphasise, Mr Speaker, that there will be no favouritism or shifting of goalposts as suggested by yesterday's Canberra Times editorial.
The selection process, which is now under way, is intended only to deal with proposals which meet the conditions associated with the project on section 19 in the city. Any consideration of proposals not consistent with those conditions would, and will, require the commencement of a new competitive tendering process. Let me repeat, Mr Speaker, that I have directed that the current process be completed as quickly as possible, and then and only then will a recommendation come to the Government. At that stage the Government will consider the recommendations on their merits and in accordance with the conditions of the tendering process. I think, Mr Speaker, that that may set
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