Across Australia and New Zealand, local city councils have been working hard to reduce the number of poker machines in their communities. However, the city of Casey seems to be going in the opposite direction, as council members have recently decided to lift its ban on new poker machines.
According to a report by the Casey Weekly, the city council has decided that it will lift its ban on the introduction of new pokies – but only for a short period of time. The ban will only be lifted long enough to give the Tooradin & District Sports Club the chance to install four new pokies. After the club has installed the games, the ban will be imposed once again.
The decision is quite unconventional, as the situation regarding Tooradin’s pokies was unique. While Casey had imposed a ban on new pokies, the Tooradin falls just outside of the jurisdiction. So, the club’s owners were unaware of the ban when they requested the new games and the Victorian Gaming Commission did not know about the ban when granting the club approval.
The vote was split down the middle with 5 members voting for and 5 voting against. Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon decided to weigh in on the issue, using her vote to break the tie. Her decision comes as a surprise to many of her colleagues, as they claim she had previously voiced her opposition to the installation of new pokies in the city.
However, Mayor Stapledon is satisfied with her decision, as the new pokies will benefit local community organizations and groups. This is because Tooradin & District Sports Club has made a very generous compromise, as the club has agreed to provide more funding for the community, increasing its contribution from 8% to 10%. There is still some work that needs to be done before the venue can install its new games.
Tooradin & District Sports Club will go on to obtain the necessary planning permits required to offer four new pokies to its patrons.
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