Page 6013 - Week 18 - Thursday, 12 December 1991
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permanent casino, and that the Government will only consider issuing the interim casino licence to the successful tenderer for the permanent casino.
The Bill provides for the issuing of both an interim casino licence and a casino licence, being a licence for a permanent casino. The Bill establishes a maximum period of three years that the interim casino licence can be in force. It is the Government's intention that the actual period of the interim licence be closely aligned to the successful tenderer's construction timetable for the permanent casino. The Bill provides power to suspend or cancel an interim licence if the developer is in breach of a development agreement for either the interim or permanent casino. A development agreement under section 40 of the Casino Control Act 1988 is an agreement that the Minister may enter into with the successful tenderer for the development and ownership of a casino.
In addition, the Bill overcomes some anomalies that have resulted from the proposed casino site being chosen by the developer rather than being mandatorily located on the section 19 City site as was proposed with the original Civic Square casino project. The ACT Attorney-General's Department has advised that for the purposes of the Casino Control Act the Minister may not be able to designate a site other than section 19 for the permanent or interim casino unless the Territory Plan has been varied. There is also some doubt whether the Minister can approve a developer under the Act unless the plan has been changed.
The Bill amends the Act so that the Minister may designate an area where the Territory Plan currently does not allow a casino. The Bill provides that the designation is not to be taken to be inconsistent with the plan. However, Mr Speaker, before the casino may be constructed or operated, it will be necessary for the plan to be varied in the normal way. This will involve full public consultation and, because of the importance of this variation, the normal 21-day period will be extended considerably. The Bill will also allow the development agreement to be entered into, thereby securing the proposed casino developer.
The amendment Bill will also modify the specification that key casino personnel must be Australian citizens or eligible for permanent residency in Australia. This will allow expert staff employed by Casinos Austria to be covered by the regulatory system established by the ACT and to assist with the set-up of the Canberra casino and training of local staff.
The passing of the Bill will allow the developer of the permanent casino and the interim casino to begin preparatory work under the Casino Control Act. Such work would include negotiations with planning authorities, finalisation of the development agreement, and matters
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