Tooradin and District Sports Club president Rex Genoni is furious at Casey Council’s decision not to support additional pokies at the club.
By Sarah Schwager
THE Tooradin Sports Club has hit out at the City of Casey after the council last week decided not to support extra gaming machines, saying it can ‘go to buggery’ over funds for the Tooradin foreshore development.
Club president Rex Genoni said he was shocked at the decision after all the money the club had put back into the community and into the council.
“In the 30 years that the club has been here we have kicked in $3 million into the charitable community,” he said. “Yet they refuse to support us on this.
“We are really savage on the council.”
The sports club had put an application for 12 extra pokies to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation but needed the council’s support.
Casey’s planning committee last week decided to vote against the extra pokies because it said the social and economic characteristics of the community indicated there would “be a negative detriment” if the number of pokies was increased from 42 to 54.
The council also decided to explore further limiting the hours between which gaming venues can open, enhancing problem gambling support at gaming venues, changing gambling machine design, and a higher proportion of gambling losses being returned to the local community.
Mr Genoni said the club would now go to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to overrule the council’s decision.
“We’ve been very, very responsible with any gambling that takes place in the club,” he said. “We have personally gone up to people and said ‘hey, can you personally afford to do this?”
Mr Genoni said the amount of money the club had put back into the Tooradin community was endless.
“Council came to us when they were modifying the foreshore and the (pedestrian) bridge,” he said. “We recognised it was for the town and said we would put $100,000 in when the project was complete.
“They’ve just burnt that. They can go to buggery.
“Let them spend their own money down there.”
As news came of the council’s decision, Mr Genoni was celebrating after being awarded President of the Year (Gaming) by Clubs Victoria.
“Clubs Victoria knows what we have done in the district, that’s why we won the award,” he said.
Casey mayor Colin Butler was horrified at the council’s decision last week, saying the decision affected the whole community of Tooradin, as all the income from the pokies went straight back into the community.
He said it was particularly disappointing because of the numerous pokies applications that had been approved in the north of the city.
Councillor Steve Beardon, however, said he was pleased with the council’s decision to vote no to additional pokies at Tooradin.
“This is a victory for our community and hopefully a trend that will see pokies pulled out of venues down south and across Casey,” he said.
“It is a great result.”
