Facing problem gambling
Fairfield Advance, Wednesday 21 May, 2008

POKIES were destroying relationships, according to one of the speakers at the southwest Sydney problem gambling forum held on Friday.

Independent Fairfield Councillor Thang Ngo had organised the forum to discuss endemic poker machine gambling in southwest Sydney .

The Rev Stephen Frederick, who works as an Anglican pastor in Fairfield and Bossley Park , said the argument that restricting poker machine access would be an attack on individual freedom was missing the point.

"A community's freedom is more at harm when the relationships of the community itself are being undermined," he said.

Cr Ngo said Fairfield families were spending as much as 78 per cent of their disposable income on gambling.

He said the forum which was co-organised by Fairfield-Liverpool Greens spokesman Bill Cashman was a chance to bring together all the stakeholders, from club and hotel representatives to academics, social workers and religious representatives.

Although no decisions were reached at the forum, which was held at Green Valley District Centre in Hinchinbrook, Cr Ngo said just getting everyone together to discuss the problem was a success.

Despite being invited, Fairfield Mayor Nick Lalich, Fairfield State Labor MP Joe Tripodi and Cabramatta State Labor MP Reba Meagher did not attend the event.

No other Fairfield councillors attended.

Mounties chief executive officer Greg Pickering and Australian Business Party president and mayoral candidate Joseph Adams were in the audience.

The forum also included 15-minute presentations from John Storer , Dr John Haw, Kate Roberts , Echo Morgan and a discussion panel led by Father Chris Riley.

Cr Ngo said he was pleased with the turnout of about 70 people.

"It won't solve the problem overnight, but at least everyone was talking," he said.