Wyndham council bans pokies in vulnerable communities

Wyndham council has banned new pokie machines in some suburbs to protect its most “financially vulnerable” people.

The City of Wyndham has introduced tough new measures banning “insidious” pokie venues in vulnerable suburbs.

The new policy, which was unanimously endorsed by Wyndham’s council, will prevent new gaming machine venues within 400m of social housing, shopping centres and new suburbs.

Instead any new machines will be encouraged in existing venues, away from community facilities.

Gaming machines made $61 million in Wyndham over the last financial year.

Cr Jennie Barrera said the council was introducing the policy to discourage new gaming facilities in growth areas such as Tarneit and Truganina.

“While gambling can be an ordinary pastime for some, it is associated with addiction and harmful outcomes for others,” she said.

“This motion sends a clear message that Wyndham opposes additional gambling machines in areas where there is already financial vulnerability.”

Despite closures of gambling venues due to Covid, Wyndham residents have lost more than $136m over the past two years.

Wyndham has 903 pokie machines across 13 venues, which the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation said has led to the eighth highest gambling spend in Victoria.

The move comes after Wyndham lost a fight to prevent the Werribee Football Club from opening a new $12 million venue with 70 pokies in Truganina.

The proposed venue, which could earn up to $8 million per year, was approved by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation which found there would be no detrimental effect to the community.

Cr Josh Gilligan said the new policy was the “strongest possible planning scheme controls” to mitigate the risk of new pokie venues causing harm.

“Be of no doubt this was heavily fought in the Victorian Planning Panel and you can see the people that presented to try and water down this proposed change,” he said.

“We’ve put it in stone to make sure we are protecting our vulnerable areas from the insidious nature of pokies.”