By Ann Marie Angebrandt
WYNDHAM City Council has approved a reception centre with 50 gaming machines for Point Cook, despite its policy of capping the number of pokies in the city.
The application was received last October, before new state legislation was introduced relieving new gaming venues from obtaining council planning permits.
Developer Tiplane Pty Ltd has slightly reduced the number of night-time hours for the Wallace Ave centre to placate neighbours, some of whom are only a few hundred metres from the proposed development.
The centre will now close at 1am from Sunday to Wednesday, rather than an original plan for it to remain open until 3am seven days a week.
The development, which will also include a sports lounge, drive-through bottle shop and dining areas, is expected to employ about 20 full-time staff and up to 120 part-time staff.
Tiplane has offered to contribute $75,000 a year to the Wyndham City Council for local community use from the $1.2 million it expects to raise in gaming revenue.
