Melbourne Storm takes Truganina pokies permit application to VCAT after council opposition
Melbourne Storm is facing stiff opposition in its bid to re-enter the pokies market at Truganina with a multimillion-dollar hotel development. The 80-pokies play will be won or lost at VCAT.
North West
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A Melbourne Storm proposal for a late-night pokies venue in Truganina has faced a backlash from two local councils.
Wyndham Council, as well as neighbouring Hobsons Bay, have objected to the plan to introduce 80 poker machines into an area the council said was already surrounded by “financial vulnerability”.
The council is seeking to block the pokies venue from being included in an $18 million multistorey hotels and entertainment complex at 231 Leakes Rd, Truganina.
It is estimated punters could lose up to $1.9 million in its first year.
Wyndham councillor Tony Hooper said he was “not a wowser”, but argued it was too early for the council to contemplate adding dozens of extra poker machines into a new growth area.
“The Truganina community is desperate for assets but I don’t believe, and I don’t think it’s reasonable, to have a business case underpinned by pokies, especially when they do so much economic harm to the community,” Cr Hooper said.
In a report to the council, Wyndham officers said there were already four other gaming venues within 5.5km of the site, meaning the distance to a venue would be halved for most punters if the development went ahead.
Planning documents provided to the council listed Melbourne Storm as future operators of the proposed venue, despite offloading more than 150 machines when it sold the Kealba Hotel only 12 months ago.
The documents claimed the proposal would “generate positive impact” as Melbourne Storm pledged to make contributions to the community should the application be granted, including “substantial cash donations” to local groups.
Hobsons Bay is only a few kilometres from the site and has also officially objected to the proposed venue, which is headed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in August.
Hobsons Bay deputy mayor Sandra Wilson said she would be disappointed if VCAT approved the inclusion of a gaming facility, labelling pokies revenue an “insidious” form of fundraising.
“It’s a last century decision to build pokies into their business model,” she said.
Monash University gambling health expert Charles Livingstone said the proposal was a “cynical” attempt to exploit vulnerable people, but warned councils faced significant obstacles defeating pokies developments at VCAT.
“The problem will be that the applicant will argue that without the poker machines the development would not be viable, which is what they always argue,” he said.
“VCAT tends to take those arguments very seriously.”
A Melbourne Storm spokesman declined to comment.
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