2019-10-08 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                 8 OCTOBER 2019


The Club currently employs 97 staff plus three "Epic" employees. It sources significant services
and products from within the local Tewantin Noosa catchment area and these commitments to
supporting the local community are in-line with the Clubs Objects and Constitution.
…….Being able to maintain strong growth and continue to develop is linked to all of the services
the Club provides, which includes the gaming facilities.
The Club has a robust Responsible Service of Gaming (RSG) policy in place and this assists to
mitigate any potential harm from gaming. All staff are RSG and RSA trained and there are
specific Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) trained to manage gaming matters.
As part of the RSG policy, the Club has a strong focus on managing Self Exclusion and is
proactive in this regard. Currently the Club has 29 Self Excluded patrons, and this is reflective of
the management of this policy.
The Club engages outside training organisations and consultancies to assist in ensuring that it is
up to date with legislative requirements and maintaining compliance at the venue both in regard
to gaming and liquor service.
The gaming (and liquor) services provided are the subject of regular compliance and audit
processes undertaken by the OLGR. These audits are extremely thorough and the licensee (the
Committee) must meet the required standards.
The Club makes significant contributions in cash and in-kind to the community and a large
portion of this funding is sourced from Gaming Revenue. As the community grows so too must
the Club, and this allows for it to meet the expectations of its own Board, its Constitution, the
members and the local community.
Assessment of Request
The condition restricting the number of gaming machines was included in the original approval
reflective of the material provided at the time of lodgement of the application. The applicant has
submitted an application to the Office of Liquor & Gaming Regulation and has since obtained
approval to increase the number of gaming machines from 195 to 210 and the additional
machines have been installed. Notably, the RSL’s CEO has confirmed that there is no room for
additional machines beyond the current 210 as the gaming area has been maximised. Therefore,
it is not envisaged that additional gaming machines will be installed in the near future.
The Office of Gaming Regulation currently regulates and controls gaming machines in clubs and
hotels in Queensland under the Gaming Machine Act 1991. The applicant advises that
Community Club licence holders are limited to a maximum of 300 gaming machines and
Commercial Hotel and Commercial Special Facility Licences are limited to a maximum of 45
gaming machines. The objective of the Act is to ensure that the community as a whole benefits
from gaming by ensuring the integrity and fairness of games, ensuring the probity of operators
and minimising the potential harm. There is also a Responsible Gambling Code of Practice
developed by the state in May 2002 and is a voluntary code designed to promote harm
minimisation through the use of responsible gambling practices. Notwithstanding this, the
continued increase in the number of gaming machines raises some concerns at a local level as
while it may provide entertainment that may be harmless to some people it can also be a source
of great distress for a significant minority.
The current planning scheme does not regulate gaming machines. The proposed use being an
RSL club is also specifically contemplated for the site by the Noosa Plan and the existing
approval includes entertainment and dining uses. On this basis it is considered the additional (15)
gaming machines already approved by the State are in keeping with the approved use for the
site.




                                                                                     Page 27 of 48