Council rejects Officer pokies

Cardinia Shire Council has rejected an application for additional poker machines at Club Officer.

By Bonny Burrows

Cardinia Shire Council has upheld its “commitment” to take a stance against family violence by rejecting an application for an additional 20 electronic gaming machines (EGM) at Club Officer.
Despite council officer recommendations to approve the additional machines, councillors rejected the Pakenham Racing Club’s proposal at their 20 November general meeting on the grounds it would be detrimental to community health.
It follows the 18 September council decision to reject an 80-gaming-machine hotel venue for Officer.
In its application, the Pakenham Racing Club stated the proposal would result in “a marginally positive social outcome” by facilitating the creation of 12.5 effective full-time positions, allowing the applicant to use additional final resources to implement a chaplaincy service and to increase community contributions associated with the club by $25,000 per year.
But councillors disagreed, with Michael Schilling moving an alternate motion to reject the Pakenham Racing Club’s proposal.
Cr Schilling argued that despite plans to use the profits generated by the machines for an upgrade to the Cardinia Club, “generating funds from some our community’s most vulnerable is simply unacceptable”.
He shut down council officer claims that “EGM’s are unlikely to result in increased community vulnerability”.
“The Productivity Commission tells us that 40 per cent of profits generated from these machines come from those who can afford it the least,” the councillor said.
Cr Schilling also highlighted the “well-documented fact” that gaming machines were linked to family violence.
Because of this, he said it wouldn’t be right for the council to approve the additional machines at the already 60-gaming machine venue.
“When it comes to our top 10 health and social challenges within the Cardinia Shire, pokie machines are equal to crime and not far behind family violence,” Cr Schilling said.
“If we look at the losses and social issues generated from EGM, I don’t see this as a net community benefit.”
The councillor said alarm bells also rang when learning of a proposed chaplaincy service at both Club Officer and the Cardinia Club.
“This tells us straight away this is a highly addictive product,” Cr Schilling said.
He said the despite the officer recommendation to approve the machines with conditions, “as a shire we have reached a critical point where social and economic ramifications of EMGs can’t be ignored”.
“This decision I know, despite what’s written in the report, will have a detrimental impact on our community,” Cr Schilling said.
While the decision could still be overturned at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, councillors agreed it was important they stood up for the health and welfare of their community.
The Pakenham Racing Club did not wish to comment on the matter.