DEAR News Of The Area,

I WAS disappointed to read that Port Stephens Council has now asked for expressions of interest to develop Medowie Social as a Registered Club.

Contrast this decision with one made by a previous council in 2011, when Council rejected a bid by the Motto Farm Motel in Heatherbrae, to change part of the motel to include a hotel with poker machines.

At the time, Port Stephens Council received a petition and 88 submissions – including from health authorities, high schools and the Port West Community Drug Action Team (CDAT) – concerned about the social impacts of a hotel “relating to alcohol consumption and gambling”.

It was called a “landmark decision”, with the Land and Environment Court then backing the council, finding unacceptable social and safety impacts warranted its refusal.

Those who originally advocated for Medowie Social would not be pleased with Council’s decision.

It was developed in 2020 as a multipurpose sports and community facility.

On its website its core values are Community, Integrity and Heart.

One of its main proponents, the late Councillor Geoff Dingle, was adamant that it should never become a pokies venue.

Council has hidden behind a community survey to say this is what the community wants. Councillors are elected to make the best decisions for the community.

This decision to introduce yet more poker machines into the community, because that’s what a registered club will do, is not in the best interests of the community.

Victoria’s Responsible Gambling Foundation, released a report into the social costs of gambling, finding that for every dollar lost to poker machines there is a $1.20 cost in social harm.

That’s from loss of work, productivity, mental health issues, financial problems and family breakdowns.

Has Port Stephens Council considered the social costs of their decision?

We all know that Australians are voracious gamblers, losing more on the punt than any other country in the world.

Defenders of registered clubs say that clubs give back to the community through sporting and community grants. However, state government enquiries have shown that this can be less than one percent of the club’s poker machine earnings.

YES Australia – we have a gambling problem!

I urge Port Stephens Council to reconsider this decision.

Regards,
Kathy BROWN,
Port Stephens Greens.