Zoe Moffatt
Hume council will write to the casino, gaming and liquor regulation minister to express its concern over the tax break scheme for club-based poker machine operators.
In a council meeting on May 22, council voted to write to Melissa Horne about the scheme, which it said is being widely abused by poker machine operators in Hume.
Mayor Joseph Haweil said the community benefits scheme in essence allows club-based poker machine operators to claim an 8.33 per cent tax offset under the guise of providing community benefit.
“For many, many years this has been an incredibly flawed scheme being used and abused by poker machine operators in Hume and around Victoria,” Cr Haweil said.
“The last thing I think this state needs is to be providing a huge tax offset to the purveyors of harm and misery in our community, which are poker machine operators.”
Cr Haweil said an analysis of the last five years of financial statements from these clubs in Hume revealed the overwhelming majority of claims have been made for operating costs.
“The real critical issue as part of the arrangements in this scheme is that it allows operating costs to be used under this offset,” he said.
“Over the last five years … clubs in Hume have claimed … waste removal costs … Foxtel subscriptions … staff wages and expenses, insurance, electricity and leasing costs, turf maintenance costs … soft drinks …
“It is incumbent upon the Victorian government, particularly in the context of fiscal difficulties, to close this unacceptable loophole that allows these clubs to legally get away with this type of behaviour.”
Councillor Naim Kurt agreed and said it was a rort that clubs were not putting money back into the provision of responsible gaming measures and activities in the last financial year.
“It’s just an absolute disgrace and I think it’s a sham and a rort that this system exists in this state and it allows pokies operators to claim this legally,” Cr Kurt said.
“[I’m] realistic that I think we’re going to have to keep banging this drum because it just doesn’t seem to be making a dent just yet.”
