BRIMBANK councillors have defended a decision to avoid a statewide review of gaming machine licences, and say it’s not too late to for the area to voice an opinion.
Star revealed revealed last week that Brimbank failed to make a submission to the State Government licensing review before its deadline last month, because feuding councillors couldn’t exactly agree on their collective opinion.
The State Government’s Office of Gaming and Racing called in January for input from councils, communities, gaming operators and related bodies.
The submissions will help form part of the planning before the licensing and selection of operators for pubs and clubs, when the present licensing period expires in 2012.
Maribyrnong, Wyndham, Hume and Moonee Valley Councils were among 30 local government bodies to make submissions.
Brimbank has the fourth highest number of gaming machines in metropolitan Melbourne, with more than 950 spread across 15 venues.
Punters spent more than $110 million on machines last year in Brimbank alone.
Members of the community voiced strong concerns about the issue.
And the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association held a forum that heaped criticism on the council for not doing enough to address the community concerns.
However, most councillors defended the decision not to make a Brimbank submission.
“With the current crop of councillors, there’s a motivation to come up with a policy and there has already been a lot of work put into it,” Grasslands Ward councillor Ken Capar said.
“I don’t accept that we did not do anything.
“Brimbank council has not missed the boat, we’re part of the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) submission.”
Harvester Ward councillor Miles Dymott, who called for councillors at last week’s ordinary meeting to establish a “round-table on gambling” said council had not done enough.
But his motion was stalled. He planned to contact local outreach and community groups, venue representatives and other academics, to get their views in an attempt to reduce pokie numbers in Brimbank.
“Council doesn’t have a gambling policy after four years of talking about writing one, and now we have missed another opportunity to add Brimbank’s voice to tackling problem gambling,” he said.
“It’s not a case of problem gambling being new, or that it’s a growing point of concern, this is about the council taking action on problem gambling in concert with the stakeholders.”
