GREENS MOVE TO GIVE COUNCILS POWER OVER POKIES

GREENS MOVE TO GIVE COUNCILS POWER OVER POKIES

Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming Spokesperson
Monday, 18 June 2012

The Tasmanian Greens will table legislative amendments this week in Parliament to give councils a say on pokies in local communities.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth MP said the measure was one of the key proposals to emerge from the recent ‘People Before Pokies’ forum at Hobart Town Hall.

“Ever since pokies were rolled out into pubs and clubs in the nineties, councils have had zero control over the location and number of machines in their municipality,” Mr Booth said.

“Studies consistently show lower socio-economic areas have higher ratios of pokies, which means that pokie barons are deliberately targeting battlers to fatten their own wallets.”

“While councils battle to revitalise their business districts, pokies are sucking money and customers out of local small businesses and putting it into the pockets of the already-wealthy.”

“The Greens believe local communities and their local government representatives should be able to protect their community from these soul sucking machines.”

“The Greens amendments would ensure that councils get a bigger say on where pokies go in the community, as they currently do with liquor outlets,” Mr Booth said.
Kim Booth MP Greens Gaming Spokesperson Monday, 18 June 2012