Council backs pokies refusal

By Melissa Meehan
CARDINIA Shire Council has welcomed last week’s Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) decision that rejected poker machines at a Romsey hotel.
Councillor Brett Owen raised the issue at last week’s council meeting and asked what the decision meant for the Cardinia Shire Council.
General Manager of Planning and Deveopment Phil Walton said the Romsey case would set a precedent for future applications.
The case saw the Romsey Hotel owner earlier this month refused permission to install 30 pokie machines in his venue after a long five-year battle in VCAT with Macedon Ranges Shire Council.
Cr Owen said it was important to detail the decision and that there was no doubt the case would be used in other matters.
He said local MP Tammy Lobato’s work at raising awareness in the community should be commended.
Ms Lobato also welcomed the Romsey decision, saying that it upheld the right of communities to have a say in determining whether poker machines were appropriate for their communities.
“This decision could be the precedent that will allow Beaconsfield to also stay free of pokies,” Ms Lobato said.
There is an application for 60 poker machines as part of a new hotel complex called Pink Hill, at the intersection of O’Neil Rd and the Old Princes Hwy in Beaconsfield. There are currently no poker machines in Beaconsfield.
Ms Lobato said she had entered many discussions with concerned residents about the proposal and what it would mean for the community.
“That is why, on 14 October, I submitted an objection to this proposal with the Cardinia Shire Council on the basis that it would not be an appropriate one for Beaconsfield,” she said.
“In that objection, I referred to the previous decision made regarding the Romsey case in the Supreme Court last year, which recognised the right of local people to have a say about the introduction of poker machines.”
She said Beaconsfield was an area with many young families that were already stretching their incomes to meet mortgage payments.
“The introduction of gaming machines into the area is likely to cause hardship for such families already bearing the brunt of the global economic downturn and struggling to make ends meet,” she said.
“Those who wish to gamble have alternative venues they can go, such as Pakenham, Berwick and Narre Warren.”
The location of the Pink Hill proposal is also a major concern, according to Ms Lobato.
“With houses, the community complex, child care and kindergarten in close proximity to the site, this development would be totally out of keeping with the surrounds,” she said.
“Beaconsfield has a wonderful small town atmosphere and already has a hotel that operates successfully without gaming machines.”
She said the vast majority of residents were firmly opposed to the introduction of gaming machines and had made clear that developments such as the Pink Hill proposal are not welcome.
“After the Romsey decision, it is clear that the wishes of Beaconsfield residents must be taken into account when determining this application,” she said.
The Cardinia Shire Council was expected to make a decision on the Pink Hill application some time in December.
It is believed the council received more than 100 objections.