Pokie switch idea hits raw nerve

By Alison Noonan
POKIE machines may be sourced from existing gaming venues in Cranbourne for installation at Casey Fields.
Councillors at last week’s Casey Council meeting agreed to look at the possibility of relocating machines from the centre of town to the multimillion dollar sporting complex in Cranbourne East.
The move followed a proposal from council officers to place 95 new machines in the Casey Fields Social Club.
Under the proposal, VFL club Casey Scorpions (formerly Springvale) is to become venue operator at the social club, with profits to go to local user groups and enable council to repay its construction debt.
“It is support for the repayment of the cost of the main pavilion. The benefit will be having these facilities available for residents, which might not have been possible without the installation of pokies,” Casey Director Planning and Development Services Paul Bawden said.
However, Strathard Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford argued she was against placing an extra 95 machines next to a suburb that already supported the highest concentration of pokies in Casey.
“Cranbourne has five times the state average number of machines,” she said.
“Fortyfive per cent of machines are in Casey’s south but only 23 per cent of the population is over 18.
“I am not against pokies, just the high concentration.”
Mayfield Ward councillor Kevin Bradford agreed, claiming the possibility of relocating pokies from other venues was a responsible way to try to reduce the amount of machines in the area.
“There is a need for pokies for the financial viability of the area but the problem is we still have too many in this area.
“Relocating pokies to Casey Fields from other areas in Cranbourne is not a case of knocking pokies off completely at Casey Fields,” he said.
Araluen Ward councillor Rob Wilson accused Cr Wreford of trying to “scuttle development at Casey Fields”, claiming her call to relocate pokies from Cranbourne would sound the “death knell” for the social club.
“It’s no secret Cr Wreford is totally opposed to the facility at Casey Fields,” Cr Wilson said.
“It is total fairyland to think that all pokies will come from Cranbourne.
“We should try to source as many as we can from elsewhere without sounding the death knell for Casey Fields.”
Cr Wilson said council had to act now before it received any future applications from larger management companies who would keep the profits.
“An application at a later date could mean all the profits go to one company when the whole concept of Casey Fields is that the profits go to user clubs.
“It would defeat the purpose of the aspirations of what we are trying to achieve for Casey Fields,” he said.
Councillors also moved to facilitate a gaming forum with key local stakeholders, including service providers and local venue representatives, in November to discuss gaming and gambling issues in the Cranbourne area.