Apparently it doesn't matter that there are some curious aspects about the two development approvals filed for the casino and that Crown's builder, Lend Lease, seems to have trouble replying to Department of Planning and Environment questions. Sydney's Barangaroo development is the site of James Packer's new "VIP gaming facility". Credit:Peter Braig Crown has form with its developments and state governments, changing and modifying plans and bending governments to its will. But Packer is unhappy that the Barangaroo approvals are taking time to get through the system. In October he tried going over the head of the department direct to Premier Mike Baird. A tribute

Now he's gone public with his "frustration", along with the line that he wants to build the massive raised digit partly as a tribute to his father. "This is very personal for me, my dad would loved to have seen a luxury hotel here under the Crown banner and we want the public to embrace and experience the facility like they have at our resorts in Melbourne and Perth," Mr Packer said. James Packer and Mariah Carey at the red carpet event prior to the opening of Studio City in Macau. Credit:Bloomberg Never mind that only 22 of the building's 69 floors will be hotel rooms and "villas". It will primarily be an apartment building and casino complex, a hotel third. The history of the Barangaroo job itself is absolutely extraordinary: man wants a casino, makes proposal to government, turns on an incredible PR blitz that has very nearly every media outlet perform as an uncritical cheer squad - government gives man casino licence without going to open tender to see what other international casino operators might be interested in it or how much they might be prepared to pay for it.

In terms of not finding out the open-market value of public property (in this case, the licence), Barry O'Farrell's government and Auburn Council had plenty in common. Clarification required What was left out of the Whinge of the Year entry was that there are some aspects of the two development applications that might well require a great deal of clarification and amplification. A Crown casino development is not a simple process. What's already worrying the City of Sydney - and anyone else interested in the development of Barangaroo and Sydney - is the modification Lend Lease is already seeking to the Barangaroo concept plan. Land that was to be set aside for public use instead would be home for a building with a maximum height of 275 metres. The various artist impressions of the Crown casino might not indicate just how big it will be in the steel and glass. Take the buildings already under construction there and add 50 per cent. It will dominate the Sydney skyline from the north and west and won't be missed from the east either.

Some of curious things that might be causing scratching of department heads are in the first of the DAs – the one for remediation and excavation works that was filed in expectation of it speeding up the building. A second DA is for the actual construction of the apartment/casino/hotel building. It seems there could be some apparent inconsistencies between the two DAs. For example, most remedial work requiring removal of asbestos would be to a depth of 2.5 metres – but the documents show depths varying from 2.5 to 18.5 metres. So part of the modification means Crown wants to build a car park and other facilities under land currently designated for a public park, with a very great deal of contaminated earth being moved around. It's always rather nifty for developers to get initial approval through a full public display and disclosure process and subsequently steadily modify and change and twist and bend without having to resubmit to the initial rigour.

The public can't know what the eventual Sydney Crown casino will be as, using the Melbourne Crown experience as a guide, many changes lie ahead. But at least we all know what James Packer wants for Christmas: his own way.