THE City of Casey has gone against its ban on new electronic gaming machines (EGM) at existing venues on council land and made an exception.
In a move that divided councillors, four more pokie machines were approved for the Tooradin and District Sports Club at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
A report came back to the council on the sports club’s application with a recommendation by council officers to refuse the request for more EGMs as it did not fit with council’s policy that bans more machines being approved at existing gaming venue on council land.
Councillors narrowly voted against the officer’s recommendation five votes to five, with the Mayor Amanda Stapledon using her casting vote to decide the matter in the sports club’s favour.
A new motion was then put forward by councillor Gary Rowe, on behalf of Geoff Ablett who was away sick, that would allow the club to purchase the machines.
This motion was voted in closely, with councillors Stapledon, Rowe, Mick Morland, Susan Serey and Wayne Smith agreeing to the extra machines.
Part of the agreement would also require the club to put 10 per cent of profits back into the community.
Cr Rowe said the sporting club was singled out with this local law that was put in place in 2009 as it was the only sporting club on Casey land with gaming machines.
“Another issue in relation to this is that the sports club made the application for the extra machines at the suggestion of the Gaming Commission under the previous State Government,” he said.
“At the time, neither the sports club or Gaming Commission were aware of Casey council’s plan to not allow any more machines in Casey on council land.
“It stops them being victimised as the only sporting club on council land operating gaming machines.”
Cr Stapledon said at least the sports club would be putting some of the revenue back into the community and the council could have some say in where they funds go.
Cr Sam Aziz, who voted against the extra EGMs, said it beggared belief that the council would deviate from this policy for one particular club.
“I see absolutely no reason to deviate from our current policy on this one instance,” he said.
Cr Aziz said while councillors said this was one exception, he didn’t think that’s something they should be promising.
“We are setting a precedent,” he said.
“We set a policy in 2009 and now we are breaking it.
“We are making an exception tonight and then promising we won’t do it again.
But Cr Stapledon said that was the beauty of the democratic process.
Cr Crestani was also against allowing the machines to go ahead.
“The line that was continued to be thrown at the councillors was that this was a fundraiser effort for the community,” she said.
“That flies in the face of all the data available on how gaming machines have a detrimental effect and this was reflected in the officer’s recommendations not to approve these machines.”
Tooradin Sports Club board member Colin Butler said he believed that councillors who were against the machines were ill informed.
Mr Butler said the extra revenue that would go back into the community would not be direct revenue from the extra EGMs but as a result of the reduction of government taxing.
Mr Butler also said that the sports club have built in excess of half a million in assets and handed them over to Casey at the recreation reserve and put millions back into the community over the years.
“The ban on more machines on council land was bought in to focus in the Casey Scorpions, as we were totally disadvantaged as a result,” he said.
Councillors Damian Rosario, Rafal Kaplon and Louise Berkelmans were the other councillors against the machines.
