Over the course of the past few weeks, rumours have been circulating that SkyCity will be building a new casino and convention centre in Queenstown. Local politicians were outraged at the fact, and made their concerns known during a Q & A with Mayor Vanessa van Uden. She put these worries to rest by announcing that no deal had been done.
“There’s been quite a lot of assumption that the deal has already been done with the casino, so let’s get that out on the table loud and clear now, there has not been a deal done with SkyCity”, she said. “They were one of the consortium members in terms of operating the convention centre, there have been some subsequent discussions but certainly not a deal done.”
Van Uden addressed a room full of concerned politicians and residents last week. She announced that a deal had not yet been finalized, and that it would need to pass legislation before any property could be constructed. Van Uden also encouraged local residents to make submissions on the issue, letting the council know how they could feel about a new casino in the area.
Some residents believe that a referendum is essential in making the decision. However, van Uden is not entirely convinced. She has stated that any requests for a referendum should be made through submissions. If there enough interest, she will consider a referendum.
