Australian casino operator The Star Entertainment Group (TSE) is pushing a new Sydney expansion plan, while fending off negative publicity involving executive bonuses and porn shoots.

Despite its original expansion plan having been rejected by Sydney officials last year, TSE has submitted a proposal for not a single 237-meter hotel tower but two new towers at its flagship casino property. The AU$1b plan envisions a 180-meter tower on the south side of the complex bookended with a 110-meter tower on the north side.  

Both towers would exceed the New South Wales government’s preference for keeping the district’s skyscrapers below 60 meters and local opposition to vertical expansion appears not to have abated since last November. But TSE appears to be banking on its promise that the plan would create 1,000 new temporary construction jobs and a similar number of permanent hires once the buildings are in use.

TSE is bracing for the end of its local casino monopoly as rival Crown Resorts prepares for the soft opening of its flashy new Crown Sydney venue this December. With both operators currently suffering from a distinct lack of Chinese VIP gamblers, it will be necessary to lure domestic high-rollers, a fight in which swanky amenities could play a major role.