Whittlesea council has linked up with about 30 other local councils to fight for poker machine reform.
In the lead-up to the November 29 state election, the councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Salvation Army are jointly calling for tighter restrictions around the assessment of new poker machines.
Their Enough Pokies campaign argues that the Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation’s (VCGLR) current test of “no net detriment” to the community if new poker machines are installed is flawed.
The campaigners want the threshold for what constitutes a “community benefit” raised.
Of the 154 VCGLR decisions made since July 2008 under the current system, 93 per cent have been decided in favour of the gaming venue operator, often despite strong council and community objection.
VCGLR data shows more than $96 million in Whittlesea and almost $102 million in Hume was spent on poker machines in the 2013-14 financial year.
Former Whittlesea mayor Mary Lalios said the campaign was seeking to have the emphasis of the legislation changed.
“Council is looking for reforms that put the burden of proving community benefit on the applicant, not the burden of disproving it on councils or other opponents,” she said.
Whittlesea council’s established areas planning manager Maria Cooke said that in the past five years the council had spent more than $150,000 on legal representation and expert witness advice to oppose poker machine applications before the VCGLR.
That figure doesn’t include fighting poker machine applications at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal or Supreme Court, which the council has also done.
Ben Rogers, of the Whittlesea Interagency Taskforce on Gambling, said there was a strong correlation between availability of poker machines and the need for emergency relief, such as food parcels and medical vouchers.
The council is hosting a public forum on poker machines in vulnerable communities at its offices on November 19, from 4-5.30pm.
There will be guest speakers, panel discussion and a question and answer time.
