Packer proposes nation’s tallest building

James Packer wants to turn its Queensbridge Hotel Tower into Australia’s tallest building, and connect it to Melbourne’s Crown Casino with a skybridge, local media reports.

The $1.5 billion hotel and apartment complex is proposed to rise 323 meters to 90 stories, just slightly higher than Australia’s current tallest building, the 78-floor Q1 tower on the gold coast, rising 322.5 meters.

The Queensbridge Tower project will include a six-star hotel with 388 rooms and 708 apartments.

Crown has also asked for the proposal to be exempt from the usual planning rules, promising to upgrade the nearby Queensbridge Square, and citing the project would contribute to the state economy upwards of $3.1 billion annually.

However, Tony Penna, president of the local residents group, was not swayed by Crown’s offer, questioning what benefit an upgrade to the square would have for the community.

"It's more of a benefit to Crown than anyone else. They need to comply with the rules just like every other developer," Penna said.

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