2018-12-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               11 DECEMBER 2018


4                        GAMBLING ALLIANCE REFORM GROUP
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                              Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                    CEO’s Office

Index                               ECM/ Subject/ Gambling

Attachments                         1.    Motion to LGAQ Annual Conference



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nil

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Planning & Environment
Committee Meeting dated 11 December 2018 and:
A.                       Agree to join the Gambling Alliance Reform Group as Queensland’s first member Council of
                         that organisation; and
B.                       Subsequently write to other Queensland local governments inviting them to join the Gambling
                         Alliance Reform Group if they are supportive of the recently adopted LGAQ policy position
                         of defining electronic gaming machines as a land use, and permit planning schemes to
                         address both the land use as well as the social impacts of electronic gaming machines on
                         communities.



REPORT
1.                       Background

A recent issue of concern to Council has been the potential for an increase in electronic gaming
machines in our Shire with little to no opportunity for Council to appropriately and adequately
assess the social and economic impacts on its local community due to Council not having the
power to regulate gaming under its planning scheme.

The State government through the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) currently
regulates and controls electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in clubs and hotels in Queensland
under the Gaming Machine Act 1991. The objective of the Act is to ensure the integrity and fairness
of games, the probity of operators and the minimisation of potential harm.

There is also a Responsible Gambling Code of Practice originally developed by the State
government in May 2002 however has been updated over the years. Commitment to this code is
voluntary and it is designed to promote harm minimisation through the use of responsible gambling
practices.

Australian’s are losing $24 billion dollars a year on gambling that’s 40% more per capita than any
other nation on the planet and electronic gaming machines are responsible for about half of those
loses with an annual spend nationally of around $12 billion. (ABC, data derived from QLD State
Government Statisticians office)




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