Investigation into a Local Policy on Electronic Gaming Machines on Council-Owned or Trustee Land

Frank Wilkie72:19

We're all going to move in. I don't need any more smiling. Screens on? Okay, we declare the meeting open again. Welcome back, everyone. We're up to item nine on the agenda. Are no Mayoral minutes. We have one notified motion. Investigation into a local policy on electronic gaming machines on Council-owned or trustee-owned land. Councillor Lorentson, would you like to move your motion? Good night. Bye-bye. Have the floor, Councillor Lorentson. Can you hear us, Amelia?

Amelia Lorentson73:20

Oh, okay. Thank you. I missed that part. I have a notice of motion. I'll read it. Investigation. Into a local policy on electronic gaming machines on Council owned or trustee land. Recommendation that Council aid. Note that several Queensland local governments, including Logan City Council, have adopted policies to guide decisions regarding electronic gaming machines. On Council owned or Council controlled land with the objective of reducing social harm and supporting community wellbeing. Acknowledge that while the regulation of gaming machines rests with the State government under the gaming machine act 1991, Council has an important role in determining the appropriate use of Council owned and. Trustee land. Explore including a policy position on gaming machines as part of a Community Purpose Land and Infrastructure Tenure Policy currently under review to guide decisions regarding installation, expansion or relocation of gaming machines on Council owned or trustee land. And D: consider reinstating membership with the Alliance for Gambling Reform to strengthen advocacy and collaboration on harm minimisation initiatives.

Amelia Lorentson75:01

Again, I'm having difficulty hearing you, but please let me know if there's any difficulty in hearing me. In 2018, Noosa Council joined the Alliance for Gambling Reform and supported stronger local control over poaching approvals. However, in Council withdrew its membership and currently there is no formal policy that exists to guide decisions regarding electronic gaming machines on Council owned or trustee land. The regulation of gaming machines remains a state of responsibility through the office of liquor and gaming regulations, community concerns persist about the clustering of gaming venues and the potential for social and economic come harm. Developing local a lot policy would provide transparent guidance for decisions involving gaming machines on Council or trustee land, ensuring that community wellbeing and harm minimisation are key considerations. It would also support constructive engagement. The State government and local stakeholders, excuse me, Logan City Council's gaming machines policy offers a clear precedent demonstrating how gaming operations on Council controlled land can align with community responsible gambling practices including this policy position as part of the current review of the Community Purpose Land and Infrastructure Tenure Policy is an efficient approach that integrates gaming machine considerations into broader land use principles um, given excuse me, current operational priorities and resource constraints. No further work on this matter is proposed until the 2026 budget process and Council can consider whether to proceed with the policy development and allocate appropriate resources. Rejoining the Alliance for Gambling Reform would further strengthen Council's advocacy and collaboration of harm minimisation initiatives. I'm just going to add a couple of little things. I pulled out some data. And I just think that data speaks for itself. In Queensland, Queenslanders lost $5.1 billion to gambling in the year 2022 to 2023. Pokies alone accounted for $3.2 billion of that. Representing 63%. On the Sunshine Coast, losses reached in 2022-23 $231 million. With more than 3,400 machines in operation. Nationally, Australia has. The highest gambling losses per capita in the world, about 15% of adults report some level of gambling related harm, everything from financial stress to family breakdowns and mental health issues. I also pulled out a little bit of data from Noosa and alone in one month in July in 2024, coping losses were just over two million six hundred and sixty four thousand dollars. We have a population of approximately 57,000 people. Coping machines in Noosa totalled 501. So again the data speaks for itself and the reason that this formal policy or this notify motion is so important is because social well-being is at the heart of who we are as a community. Our Noosa Plan and our community vision talk a lot about protecting our lifestyle, it talks about protecting our health, and it talks a lot about social cohesion. So to have a policy on gaming missions would help us make decisions that reflect. Values and also reduce the risk of harm. It's really interesting as I was putting out all this data, what also became really quite clear was that particularly at the moment when we're in a crisis, in a cost of living crisis, it's people spend more on gambling machines than when things or the economy is better. And it's more they you know, whether it's an RSL or a pub or a surf club, they enter there with $20 thinking that $20 is going to, they're going to go home with $40 or $100. So I keep coming back to what role we play as a Council and we seriously play a significant role in ensuring.