Kyneton bowlers say they are “deeply disappointed“ with Macedon Ranges’ new gambling policy, which will force the club to get rid of its poker machines.
Under the new Gambling Harm Mimimisation policy those leasing council-owned or managed land will be forced to divest themselves of electronic gambling machines (EGMs) and their EGM licence.
Kyneton Bowling Club committee chairperson Paula Adams said the divestment clause “ultimately puts us in a really challenging position“.
“We simply don’t have the volunteer capacity to take on the extensive amount of work that’s required to … run the club without the gaming machines,” Ms Adams said.
“We’re about to commence some strategic planning, and we’ll look at all sorts of options but … a club like that cannot function on cake stalls and sausage sizzles. We’re happy for people to give us some suggestions, but nothing sort of jumps out at us immediately.“
She said hospitality as a revenue source is not a viable alternative and that the club’s bistro is contracted to a third-party vendor.
Ms Adams said the community will “miss out”, as revenue from the bowling club’s gambling machines has funded sponsorships for sporting clubs, a community bus service, and in-kind support to charity events at the club premises.
Ms Adams said community consultation on the policy was “very lacking” and would have preferred more direct consultation with the club as the key organisation affected by the policy.
“I’m happy for their policy … [but] it’s more about us being targeted, and I don’t think removing them from the bowling club is going to have the desired effect … it’s more about taking it out of their backyard.“
The council put its draft policy out for community consultation in March through its YourSay platform. Of the responses, 31 were supportive and 36 were unsupportive.
Councillors discussed the draft policy at their meeting on August 28 including the controversial clause requiring those leasing council-owned or managed land to divest themselves of electronic gambling machines (EGMs) and their EGM licence.
The policy required council to discuss the divestment implications with organisations leasing council-owned land two years prior to the lease expiring, with a new lease stating conditions and a timeframe for an agreed transition period.
At the August 28 meeting, councillor Mark Ridgeway raised an amended policy that only required discussing the implications of the policy with lessees and encouraging them to plan for and relinquish their EGM licence and divest themselves of EGMs over an agreed timeframe.
Then mayor Cr Annette Death said the change created “zero obligation for action to be taken.”
Councillor Jennifer Anderson also voted in favour of the original rather than amended policy.
“On the VCCC’s website, $24,903 was spent on poker machines per day in the Macedon Ranges in 2023. In the 23–24 year, $9.695 million was lost by players,” she said.
The policy also prevents council from providing funding to community group activities if that same activity also receives gambling-derived funding.
“What we are doing with this policy is saying if a community group does want to take some funding from council, if for that same activity or event or publication, they also want to take funding from gaming machines, then we are saying we cannot co-brand – that is not what we’re about,” Cr Anderson said.
Cr Ridgeway’s amended policy was adopted by council but then rescinded at the September 16 meeting by Cr Christine Walker who said she had misunderstood Cr Ridgeway’s motion and felt that other councillors had too.
Cr Walker put forward the final policy, which altered the wording of the original policy to state that should the leasee renew the lease, the new lease will clearly state the conditions and timing for the divestment of the EGMs, beginning no later than five years into the new lease and concluding at a maximum period of ten years.
Cr Ridgeway and Cr Anderson both voted against the final policy. All other councillors voted in favour.
Macedon Ranges council was contacted for comment, however it advised Star Weekly that it was not currently in a position to respond in consideration of the council election period.
