Whittlesea council has refused to issue a permit for another 20 poker machines for the Bridge Inn in Mernda.
The refusal follows a council submission to the Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) in the middle of last year that stated the council would not support the hotel’s application for 20 more electronic gaming machines.
The hotel needs approval from the VCGLR and a planning permit from Whittlesea council before additional machines can be installed.
The planning permit refusal is the latest in a long-running bid by the club to increase its gaming machines.
The pub’s first application for 60 machines in 2008 was refused by the VCGLR. However, it granted an application for 40 machines a year later.
Benmara Pty Ltd, owners of the Bridge Inn Hotel, applied to the VCGLR again in July last year for another 20 machines. Despite a Whittlesea council submission opposing the increase, the application was approved.
Now all the pub needs is a planning permit from the council.
Residents opposed to the pub’s expansion packed the chambers for last Tuesday’s council meeting in anticipation of the councillors’ verdict.
To the dismay of members of the anti-poker machine group Whittlesea Interagency Taskforce on Gambling, Cr Rex Griffen attempted to convince councillors to approve the permit. He was supported by councillors Christine Stow and Ken Harris. When put to the vote, the permit application was defeated four votes to three.
Cr Sam Alessi said he was vehemently opposed to allowing more poker machines in the municipality, labelling the machines “a scourge” and “something we need to eradicate from the community”.
He said the application should be refused because the harm EGMs caused was indisputable.
“The 40 machines already there are doing enormous harm,” he said.
Councillors Alessi, Norm Kelly, Darryl Sinclair and Ricky Kirkham followed the advice of the council’s planning department to refuse the pub’s planning permit application.
Whittlesea Interagency Taskforce on Gambling spokesman Jemal Ahmet said that based on current activity at the hotel, the additional 20 machines would have taken another $3 million out of the local economy, bringing projected annual losses to close to $9 million a year.
“We don’t want Whittlesea to become the pokies capital of Victoria. It’s great to see strong leadership from councillors Alessi, Kelly, Sinclair and Kirkham standing up for their community against the interests of big business only concerned with profit,” Mr Ahmet said.
To have the council’s decision overturned, Benmara would need to take the matter to VCAT.
The Bridge Inn Hotel was contacted for comment.
