Driving pokies reform … it’s up to us!

Sometimes councils and governments are faced with having to make decisions not based on enough evidence. Then there are other situations where the evidence overwhelmingly shows that it would be in the best interest to act, before more harm is caused.

Consider gambling issues in Hobart. All aldermen have a considerable body of evidence guiding us towards supporting and acting on pokies reform. But at Monday’s Council meeting we are being called upon to do nothing on gambling issues in Hobart.

Right from the beginning, there has been a failure by some Aldermen to want to act on the issue.

The argument to quash any further action, put forward by instigator Marti Zucco is that gambling issues in Hobart has nothing to do with local government. How can we as elected representatives do nothing when the report that I called for in June 2011 is chocked full of statistics pointing to the social and economic harm relating to the 896 machines in our municipality?

The evidence is right before us – from the Productivity Commission reports advocating for a $1 bet limit, to the social and economic impact studies of 2009 and 2011 from Treasury, to the many social impacts highlighted by Anglicare and TasCOSS. There is considerable social harm to members of the community who are vulnerable. As with vehicle accidents, this has a ripple effect, with family members affected by addiction to poker machines, by not having enough food on the table, and often losing everything to instead feed the addiction, perhaps of a parent.

Economic impacts also provide the case that $175,000 per day flies out of the Hobart economy because they are sucked into poker machines. Small business finds it hard to compete with that significant monopoly (see Robert Mallett from the Small Business Council of Tasmania January 2012 media release). Nor is it easy to create a healthy community when the state government spends $275,000 on remediation for problem gamblers for every $105,000 in revenue from pokies.

The 2011 Social and Economic Impacts Study commissioned by Treasury states that “councils…strongly argued that they should be given more jurisdiction over gambling in their areas – such as the ability to undertake social impact studies to inform planning decisions, as in other states.”(p.34).

Municipalities in Victoria have been working effectively to provide information to staff and the public on how to deal with the social and economic harms of pokies. The Morley and Castlemaine Councils have challenged the placement of poker machines in their local clubs and pubs. They have also been lobbying state government in order to represent their communities.

Social cohesion and a good business climate is everyone’s responsibility – including local government. More than 80% of Tasmanians want to see reform on poker machines. I believe we as a Council have to work to lobby the state government in order to ensure our communities are thriving, by limiting the destructive effect pokies have on communities and businesses.

Helen Burnet
Greens Alderman
Hobart City Council
Town Hall
Macquarie St
Hobart

• Mercury: ANTI poker machine campaigners have launched a new marketing tactic to encourage locals and tourists to support Tasmania’s pokie-free pubs and cafes. The “We’re Pokie Free!” sticker created by community group People Before Pokies Tasmania will be popping up in the windows of venues around the state to lure customers who are keen for an outing without gaming machines chiming away in the background. More, Mercury here

Earlier on Tasmanian Times:

• If a child of an addict could ask the Federal Group why … ?

• Simon de Little, Pat Caplice: Cut Down The Triffid

NEW ANTI-POKIES CAMPAIGN REWARDS RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming Spokesperson

The Tasmanian Greens today encouraged all Tasmanians to support businesses involved in the new “We’re Pokie Free!” initiative, aimed at promoting pokie-free pubs and venues around Tasmania.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth congratulated the community group People Before Pokies for taking the forward-thinking initiative.

“Pokie free venues provide a place safe from the temptation of addictive poker machines and deserve support from the broader community”

“This will make it easier for all Tasmanians to choose to spend their money at socially responsible venues, instead of ones that profit from the human suffering caused by pokies.”

“This public pressure will hopefully help bring about change, by reminding businesses that they stand to lose customers because of pokies.”

“Ultimately we hope this campaign is only a temporary measure, because the only way to really guarantee an end to the damage is to rid pokies from the community altogether.”

“Tasmanians lose more than $200 million per year to poker machines, which is why the Greens support a $1 bet limit, plain packaging for pokies and mandatory pre-commitment, as temporary measures leading to an eventual ban.”

“Poker machines don’t just do damage to the addicts themselves, they inflict harm on harm families, businesses and entire communities.”

“Governments need to wake up to the reality that pokies are a recognised social cancer that splits families, drives up crime rates and leads addicts into suicidal depression.”

“Both Labor and Liberal need to sit up and take notice of this ongoing community concern about the impact of pokies, and they should hang their heads in shame that leadership is being driven by individuals and community reps since both parties refuse to act on this issue.”

The Greens have tabled separate Bills in the Parliament, one seeking to introduce a state-based $1 bet limit, and the other to provide local councils with a say regarding whether and where pokies should be located in their respective municipalities.

• POKIE FREE VENUES SUPPORT VIBRANT LOCAL ECONOMIES

Kim Booth MP
Greens Gaming Spokesperson
Tuesday, 25 September 2012

The Tasmanian Greens today tabled a motion in Parliament congratulating anti-pokies campaigners on a new initiative that supports small business in and around Hobart to become pokie-free.

Greens Gaming spokesperson Kim Booth congratulated the community group People Before Pokies for taking action when their local, state and federal governments will not.

“Pokie free venues support vibrant local economies. We know that Hobart city loses around $175 000 daily to the voracious pokie machines. That’s a cash flow that could have been spent on purchasing local goods and services,” said Mr Booth.

“A study on the impact of pokies in Bendigo Victoria found that there is a net negative impact of about $20.5 million a year and a net loss of over 200 jobs, through the diversion of spending away from retail, accommodation, cafes and restaurants and other businesses.”

“The public pressure applied through the launch of this pokie free sticker will hopefully help bring about direct change within the Hobart local community. It will also hopefully pressure local, state and federal representatives to take the legislative action that the Tasmanian community wants to mitigate the harm of pokies.”

“The Tasmanian Social and Economic Impact Study found that 81.6% of Tasmanians felt that pokies were of no benefit to the community.”

“This launch of the pokie free venue sticker proceeded the vote taken in the Hobart City Council on the 24th September to wash their hands on taking action on mitigating the impact of pokies and the problem gambling that it causes in Hobart.”

“The decision by Hobart City Council was disappointing given the fact that the community clearly wants action on pokies and has already undertaken significant body of work investigating ways that councils can minimise the harm caused by poker machines within their municipality.”

“Councils should have the power to encourage vibrant local economies and mitigate against the harm caused by pokies.”

“Today in parliament I called on both the Labor and Liberal parties to support community calls to give the power back to Local Councils to determine the municipal regulation of the operation of pokies.”

“The Greens have tabled an amendment Bill to deliver this to local councils, along with our Bill to introduce a state-based $1 bet limit, and we intend to debate both these Bills as soon as practical, which will allow the community to see exactly where Labor and Liberal stand,” Mr Booth said.