Morning pokie ban gets exemption vote

 

Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 22 April 2002,  Geesche Jacobsen

  

Poker machines must be turned off for six hours every morning from next week in a bid to stop problem gamblers. But at least one council in Sydney's  gambling heartland wants to allow all ``responsible'' clubs and pubs to reduce the ban to only three hours on weekends.

 

Fairfield Council, where residents lose most money on poker machines, will vote tonight  on allowing an exemption to the six-hour shutdown during the busiest days of the week.

 

But a local councillor, Thang Ngo, who will oppose the proposal, said the plan would water down the legislation designed to limit access to gambling. ``It's not a shutdown, but a backdown,'' he said.

 

From May 1, all pokies except those in casinos must be closed from 4am to 10am every day. But pubs and clubs can apply to the Liquor Administration Board to close for only three hours, from 6am to 9am, on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with the support of their local council.

 

Meanwhile, pubs and clubs continue to lobby the Government to reverse its decision to extend the current three-hour shutdown period, saying business has suffered.

 

While Fairfield Council, home of 45 gaming venues, supports requests from those that have ``acted responsibly'' in gambling management for a shorter weekend shutdown, other councils are not as keen to reduce the gambling-free hours.

 

Sydney City Council, home of a large number of 24-hour hotels, has a policy of requiring pokies to be stopped for six hours, a spokesman said.

 

Penrith City Council has refused to consider the social impacts of applications to reduce the shutdown time on weekends.

 

``We are ill-placed to assess the merits of applications,'' the council said, adding that problem gambling issues were ``most appropriately administered'' by the State Government.

 

The president of the Local Government and Shires Associations, Sara Murray, said the association was just getting legal advice about the role of councils.

 

She said it was outside the role of councils to assess harm-minimisation measures, because councils did not have the skills or resources.

 

Meanwhile, the Opposition has called on the Government to waive the current 6am-to-9am closure on Anzac Day.

 

``Just as an exemption exits for two-up for Anzac Day, so too should there be an exemption for poker machines on Anzac morning,'' said the Opposition's gaming spokesman, George Souris.