newy.com.au – Newcastle Greens councillors will seek council backing for a Wesley Mission campaign calling for stronger poker machine laws across NSW.
Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe and Cr Siobhan Isherwood will ask councillors at Tuesday night’s July ordinary meeting to support the Put Pokies in their Place campaign, which proposes five reforms aimed at reducing gambling harm.
The measures include universal cashless gambling with harm-reduction safeguards, a shutdown of poker machines after midnight and a statewide self-exclusion register. The campaign also calls for greater community input into the placement and density of poker machines and improved transparency of gambling data.
Cr McCabe said almost $580,000 was being lost on poker machines across the Newcastle local government area each day, with vulnerable residents among those most affected.
“Our Newcastle community is experiencing significant harmful impacts from poker machines in our clubs, pubs and hotels,” she said.
“These machines are designed to be addictive and it’s often the most vulnerable in our community who are hardest hit by their losses.
“I’m calling on Newcastle’s elected councillors to stand together with other councils across the state and demand meaningful reform to reduce gambling harm.”
Cr McCabe said the five proposed changes were evidence-based and had long been supported by the Greens.
“We need real action from the state government to reduce the harm that poker machines are causing our community,” she said.
Cr Isherwood criticised the NSW Labor Government’s record on gambling reform, saying poker machine numbers and tax revenue from the machines had increased.
“The number of poker machines in NSW has increased under this Labor Government by almost 1000,” she said.
“Tax revenue from poker machines has increased. Desperately needed gambling reforms in NSW, promised by Labor have failed to materialise.”
Cr Isherwood said cashless gambling, mandatory post-midnight shutdowns and a comprehensive self-exclusion register could reduce the harm gambling caused to families and communities.
“I look forward to Newcastle Council supporting the Wesley Mission campaign for introduction of good gambling laws that will actually reduce harm,” she said.
