Resistance to poker machines takes off

By Andrew McKenna

Upwards of 80 people swelled a classroom at Winters Flat PS last night in the first public meeting in town for residents to express their dismay at and opposition to the proposed poker machine venue in Kennedy Street.

The mood was at times rowdy, but defiant. At the Council meeting taking place concurrently, it was expected that Councillors would be voting to hire a consultant to start work on a coherent gambling policy for the Mt Alexander Shire. After the experience of the Macedon Ranges Shire, which late last year defeated a proposal to bring in more poker machines to Romsey, it appears if a community is to have any say over further gambling facilities, we need to have a policy or strategy in place, even if only in draft form.

The Maryborough Highland Society has signed a lease for the building with VicTrack, which manages the former goods shed, and they are expected to put applications in to Council and presumably the Liquor Licensing Commission soon to bring their vision to fruition.

The Highland Society bought 55 poker machine licenses at a recent State Government auction. According to Don Hester from the Society, they will create something ‘good’ in the goods shed, with conference facilities and free meeting rooms with free tea and coffee, and with reception areas for events such as weddings. Their facility in Maryborough has even won catering prizes.

One participant at last night’s meeting pointed out, however, that the few ‘sweeteners’ the Highland Society will be offering – such as free tea and coffee for free meeting rooms, sponsorship of local sports clubs or other organisations – will be dwarfed by the drain of dollars from this community if the proposal goes ahead.

The talk last night was of a fighting fund, putting pressure on politicians at all levels, and generally letting it be known publicly that this venue is not what Castlemaine residents want.

The resistance has given itself a name: EPIC (Enough Pokies in Castlemaine), started a fighting fund, and started working on a strategy to prevent the proposal from proceeding.

The win against poker machines took seven years in Macedon, but apparently the State Government, who are the principle peddler of pokies in Victoria, have tightened restrictions, or streamlined the process, and made it quicker and perhaps easier for venue operators to get their venue up and running. I didn’t catch that whole part of the argument, but it seems that the pressure is on to get resistance up  quickly.

The Macedon Ranges Shire has comprehensive documentation about their defeat of the pokies application at Romsey on their website.

For more information, to contribute to or to be part of EPIC, contact Chris Hosking.

Expect further meetings and opportunities to have your say soon.

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