The Osaka city authorities in Japan held on Saturday a public hearing regarding the draft of an environmental assessment report by Osaka IR KK, the entity that is to develop an integrated resort (IR) with casino on Yumeshima island (pictured in a file photo).
Osaka IR KK involves United States-based casino group MGM Resorts International, Japan’s Orix Corp, and a number of other Japanese entities as smaller-scale investors.
In Saturday’s hearing, 12 members of the public spoke. Some of them were from anti-casino groups, according to information reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent.
Osaka IR KK is going to look into the results of the hearing and to decide whether additional research is needed. It is currently scheduled to make public the final assessment report this summer.
On October 27 last year, Osaka city had made the draft environmental report public. Its documentation concluded that “the targets of environment conservation have been satisfied in all the items and aspects”, according to information collated by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent.
In early December, work began at the site to guard against the risk of soil liquefaction and to deal with other land issues, according to an announcement at the time by the Osaka city and prefectural authorities.
In other MGM Osaka-related news, on January 18 the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a “IR business seminar”. The co-hosts will be Osaka prefecture and Osaka city.
The chamber mainly represents small- and medium-sized enterprises in Osaka city, and is one of three major local economic organisations, according to our correspondent.
The others are: Kansai Economic Federation; and Kansai Association of Corporate Executives. The latter two bodies are said mainly to represent major corporations in Osaka city.
All three are said to have been supportive of the MGM Osaka IR scheme, which has been presented as helping the Osaka economy, and the wider regional one.
In September, the Osaka authorities said the initial investment cost of JPY1.08 trillion (US$7.48 billion currently) for MGM Osaka would rise by JPY190 billion.
