2018-09-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  11 SEPTEMBER 2018



9                        LGAQ ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROPOSED MOTION - ELECTRONIC GAMING
                         MACHINES
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                          Director Environment & Sustainable Development, Kim Rawlings
                                Environment & Sustainable Development Department

Index                           ECM/ Subject/ Liaison (Council and Government Agencies)

Attachments                     Nil



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Director Environment & Sustainable Development to the
Planning & Environment Committee Meeting dated 11 September 2018 and endorse the
submission of the following motion to the Local Government Queensland annual conference for
consideration and debate:

“That the Local Government Association of Queensland advocates to the Department of State
Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning to amend planning legislation to define
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
The Local Government Queensland Conference is held annually and provides a forum for all
Queensland Councils to come together to table and debate contemporary issues of importance
to their local areas and communities as well as identify issues that are likely to be relevant to
other local Councils.

A current issue of concern to Noosa Council is the potential for an increase in electronic gaming
machines in its municipality 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 (EGM’s) 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 developed by the State government in
May 2002. This is a voluntary code designed to promote harm minimisation through the use of
responsible gambling practices.

In Queensland, the number of gaming machines increased from 20,888 in July 2004 to 24,583 in
July 2018. The amount of money lost by players of gaming machines has also increased during
this period from $68,520,536 to $93,725,270 (data provided by the Office of Liquor and Gaming
Regulation (OLGR)).



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