History repeats in casino licence debate About 30- years ago, the Queensland Liberal-National Cabinet was consumed with casino talk. Then-premier Joh-Bjelke-Petersen and Russ Hinze backed a proposal put forward by Eddie Kornhauser. His deputy, the Liberals Llew Edwards, supported the consortium backed by National Party trustee Roderick Proctor. History tells us Sir Llew won - Sir Roderick chaired the Jupiter's Trust. Fast forward to 2013 and the Queensland Liberal-National government has again put casinos back on the agenda. But deputy premier Jeff Seeney says his government is working on more than a casino; gaming licences might be the bait, but gambling dens are not the prize the government is hoping to land. "I would suggest here [Queen's Wharf redevelopment] that this process is very different to the process which led to the establishment of the casinos which we have in Queensland today," Mr Seeney said on Thursday. Because the first hurdle that any proponent has to get over is to establish that their integrated resort development can compete on the international tourism market, can provide that destination type attraction that is the emerging part of the international tourism markets This isn't about building casinos as such. It is about enabling integrated resort developments to compete in the world tourism market, by having access to a gaming licence as part of a sweep of attractions that they offer to international visitors. Casinos are no less controversial than they were when the Bjelke-Petersen legalised the gaming market. But their licences do attract the big development players the Queensland government is hoping to lure into showing interest in Brisbane. Once their interest is snagged, those proponents will need to impress the government with something it hopes will put Brisbane on the map. "The first challenge for any proponent is to indicate how they can establish an integrated resort development that can be competitive in the international market that can provide the iconic destination type opportunities for Queensland tourism," Mr Seeney said. And once they are able to meet that hurdle, then we will consider the issue of making gaming licences available for those facilities. It is about judging those proposals and determining whether or not they meet the criteria that we built around the definition of an integrated resort development. Which is why, other than a proviso that the heritage-listed buildings which stand on the nine-hectare site between George, William and Alice Streets, with 700 metres of CBD river frontage to boot, are maintained and improved, those developers, effectively have a blank canvas. An integrated resort development is much more than a casino. It has to be able to provide a range of facilities that will attract international visitors and a number of different quality hotel accommodation options, a number of different entertainment options, a number of conference facilities, all sorts of things are part of the IRD that are the emerging market of international tourism," Mr Seeney said. A probity Code of Practice has been established to guide the process and former Auditor-General Len Scanlan, who has also been appointed to the government's new building watchdog, has been named the probity advisor.