By Laura Michell
A two-year battle to bring poker machines to South Morang’s Commercial Hotel has come to an end, with the venue’s owner withdrawing its Supreme Court appeal.
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group lodged the Supreme Court appeal earlier this year after an appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal was rejected.
The ALH Group’s original application was knocked back by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation in December, 2016, amid objection from Whittlesea council and the community. The council then refused a planning permit for the poker machines in 2017.
The company appealed the commission’s decision at VCAT, resulting in an 11-day hearing in the second half of 2017. But in December, 2017, VCAT senior members Jonathan Smithers and Rachel Naylor upheld the commission’s decision, raising concerns about the negative impact of gaming machines.
The Plenty Road pub currently does not have any gaming machines. The application sought to relocate 20 machines from other ALH Whittlesea venues to the Commercial Hotel and to install 20 new machines.
Whittlesea mayor Lawrie Cox said the appeal withdrawal was a “significant” outcome for the community.
“The successful outcome is the result of a collective effort from community, health and human service organisations and council,” he said.
