WHITTLESEA council is gearing up for an expensive legal battle against a local venue’s bid for more poker machines, but it cannot explain why.
The council will fight the Whittlesea Bowling Club’s bid for 10 extra machines at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The council made the decision in a confidential meeting.
Council spokeswoman Heather Crosling said councillors and staff could not discuss the fight or potential costs publicly.
In 2010, council successfully fought to keep pokies out of the proposed Laurimar Tavern, spending $224,956 on a fight that was decided by VCAT.
The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation on May 30 granted the bowling club’s application to increase the number of machines from 40 to 50. The commission found the economic and social benefits of the extra machines outweighed the disadvantages.
The council, at its meeting on July 3, considered the commission’s findings behind closed doors and voted to fight the approval.
Club manager Bernie Walker said he was advised by the club’s solicitors last week that council would appeal to VCAT.
“We wanted the opportunity to compete with other venues to the south, give our patrons more options and get more involved in community funding,” he said.
The club is in an uncapped area of the municipality, where the Royal Mail Hotel recently revived its application for 30 poker machines and faces strong local opposition. The southern part of the municipality is capped at 581 machines.
