Supplier News
Australia – Federal Group planning $70m overhaul of Wrest Point casino
By Phil - 16 December 2015
The VIP upgrades sweeping through the Australian casino sector have reached the island state of Tasmania where a proposed A$70m redevelopment is heralding a new chapter in the long and proud history of Wrest Point in Tasmania; Australia’s first ever casino.
Federal Group CEO and Managing director Greg Farrell said the project will invigorate Wrest Point as a centre of entertainment and inspire a new generation of visitors.
“The redevelopment will establish Wrest Point as Australia’s greatest boutique entertainment destination; returning the focus to our prime waterfront location, with dedicated performance spaces, high quality dining outlets that champion Tasmanian produce, and recreate the excitement of casino gaming,” he said.
Mr Farrell said it would create a whole new look and feel to Wrest Point, and create about 100 new jobs. Key features include public access to a boulevard walkway around the waterfront, connecting with the Sandy Bay Road pathway, allowing recreational use of Wrest Point’s waterfront parklands.
There would also be five new dining outlets and more bars, set to be iconic venues that promote Tasmanian produce, such as seafood, steak, whiskey and cool climate wines.
There would be a new focus on products and services that continue to build on already exceptional growth in Asian visitor numbers, including a high-quality Asian restaurant overlooking the Derwent River.
Upgrades would be made to the iconic Birdcage Bar, transforming it into an island venue at the centre of the property.
The overhaul would see the transition from three dispersed gaming areas, to a single gaming space which heroes the excitement of table gaming and has its own bar and entertainment area. A large skylight feature over the main gaming floor would provide views of the iconic Wrest Point tower, ensuring the gaming room is a naturally-lit, light-filled space.
The expansion would add a private VIP gaming room, with a focus on international visitors and waterfront views. The Casino and entertainment entry is designed as a seamless transition from the outdoor walkway, with a vibrant, edgy and light-filled foyer with an interior garden Mr Farrell said Federal Group would need to extend its gaming licence in order to deliver on the proposed redevelopment.
“There is no doubt that we require certainty around the future of our operations in order to embark on a project of this size, and indeed the more than $100m worth of development we would like to undertake throughout Tasmania, including a $20m development at Port Arthur and $10m upgrade at Country Club Tasmania,” he said. “Any business and their financiers, in any sector, would need certainty around its operations in order to undertake developments of this scale. With a new licence, we would be able to lodge a development application very quickly. We see this $70m project as foundation work for even further development of the Wrest Point master plan. We have put a lot of time, effort and resources into developing a master plan for Wrest Point, to ensure the iconic venue is best positioned to offer world-class guest experiences well into the future. There has been a lot of discussion lately about the future of gaming in Tasmania. We strongly believe Federal Group is best placed to manage gaming responsibly in Tasmania.”
The plans to expand at Wrest Point were announced two days after the announcement that a nearby hotel wants to add a VIP casino to its mix. The hotel called MONA revealed its own designs for a high-rollers casino known as Monaco.
Federal though has a monopoly on gaming venues until 2023. It has said it would only agree to relaxing its monopoly to allow the Mona casino to go ahead if it won an extension of its exclusive licence to operate poker machines.
