Amid news that Cairns and the Gold Coast could receive new multi-billion dollar integrated resorts, the race for the Brisbane Queens Wharf resort tenure has been reduced to four.

Architecture and Design reported in April that the Queensland (QLD) Government had previously shortlisted six proposals for an integrated resort development at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane, which they say would grow the construction and tourism sectors of the Queensland economy.

The announcement followed from QLD Premier Campbell Newman’s request for ‘expressions of interest’ from interested private sector parties last year for the development of the Queen’s Wharf project.

Queen’s Wharf project, as it was affectionately renamed in November 2013, will be located on a nine hectare government-owned site adjacent to the north bank of the Brisbane River and integrated with the 1 William Street building. The brief given to potential developers detailed a mix of new uses such as six star hotels, retail, restaurant and entertainment zones, theatre and convention facilities and new open spaces to be included.

Newman gave developers an application incentive by offering the successful proponent a casino licence with the project contract.

Deputy Premier, Jeff Seeney, has now announced that the following four parties have been invited to proceed to the next stage of the integrated resort development process by submitting detailed proposals:

Crown Resorts Ltd
Echo Entertainment Group Ltd
Far East Consortium/ Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd
Greenland Investment Pty Ltd.

Seeney said that an interactive tender process with the shortlisted companies would be the next step in the process, and will begin from mid-2014.

“The next phase of the process will be an opportunity for the shortlisted proponents to demonstrate their vision and innovation in transforming this under-utilised but important part of the Brisbane CBD,” he said.

Seeney said the new shortlist of consortia are high quality leisure and gaming companies with international reputations for delivering high quality transformational mixed-use, hotel and entertainment and gaming projects:

"These companies recognise the opportunity that Queen's Wharf Brisbane offers in an international arena and the government expects very competitive proposals for this once in a generation opportunity."

The government says the shortlisted companies will now lodge fully-developed proposals and the successful applicant is expected to be announced in early 2015.

Nathan Johnson

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