Plan for poker machines will head to Supreme Court on appeal

A 16-month battle between Darebin RSL and the council over additional pokie machines will come to a head in the Supreme Court. Find out why the RSL say they need the gaming money.

Darebin RSL will defend plans for an extra 15 pokie machines in the Supreme Court.

Darebin Council will take Darebin RSL to the Supreme Court in an attempt to stop them from adding 15 electronic gaming machines.

The council refused the RSL’s plan to add to their 65 poker machines in February last year but VCAT overruled the decision.

The council will appeal VCAT’s ruling in the Supreme Court.

Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie said they were “extremely disappointed” in the tribunal’s decision to allow the extra machines.

“Every year in Darebin people lose $80 million to gambling and many of these people are the ones who can least afford to lose it,” she said.

“Darebin will not stand idly by and accept this.”

The planning permit will allow the RSL to have 80 poker machines, increase their opening hours and begin a $9.5 million redevelopment.

VCAT senior members Geoffrey Code and Teresa Bisucci determined the machines would not have a negative impact on the community due to the economic boost from capital works, the entertainment value of gambling and the required community contributions of $15,000 a year.

RSL manager Mark Russell told the commission the works would not go ahead without the extra revenue from additional machines.

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The tribunal determined the 15 poker machines would take in almost $600,000 in the first year of operation.

The redevelopment is expected to create eight jobs.

The 65 poker machines at Darebin RSL took in $4,698,368.52 in the 2017/18 financial year.

Darebin RSL was contacted for comment.

@richardapearce