Aquis Cairns resort to proceed without casino

The planned Aquis integrated resort project to be built on a site at Yorkeys Knob north of Cairns could go ahead as early as next year after developers put aside plans for a casino.

Developer Tony Fung has reportedly dumped the flagship casino element of the resort, at least initially.

Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt says the developers have withdrawn from the Integrated Resort Development (IRD) process needed for casino approval, advising that the modified project has a "very strong chance of progressing" if it meets planning prerequisites and construction on a $2 billion first stage.

Treasurer Pitt told the ABC “the proponents are very keen to go ahead with it and they're going to get every assistance they can ... from everyone in the Palaszczuk Government.

"What we have is a clear commitment and obviously a very big vote of confidence in Cairns and in far north Queensland."

The company has been in talks with Queensland Governments about the project for almost four years and the process has at times stalled.

Treasurer Pitt says the Queensland Government would welcome any future IRD application and denied there'd been "finger pointing" between investors and government.

He also defended the probity process and said it wasn't fair to compare the project with Aquis' purchase and planned smaller-scale development of a casino in Canberra.

He added “the Queensland Government takes the issuing of casino licences very seriously.

"Being a new operator ... meant that there's a range of checks that had to be gone through and that process takes a lot of time."

The development, has 7,500 hotel rooms, a convention and exhibition centre, and a golf course at its heart and will be developed around an artificial lake and lagoon.

Questions have been raised about the viability of the project, involving 3,500 jobs during peak construction, without a casino.

If approved, the first stage of construction would commence next year. The addition of a casino would apparently follow.

Images: The proposed Aquis resort (top) and Yorkeys Knob as it is today (below).

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