The Lion Foundation has opposed the decision of the Tauranga City Council not to give its approval for further addition of poker machines to a new pub in Tauriko.
A hearing of the appeal of the Foundation, which is now fighting against a Council’s decision not to give its consent for as many as nine poker terminals to be added to the Tauriko Sports Bar which is still expected to start operation, was scheduled for June 24th. According to the written submissions filed by the foundation, the application for the addition of the pokies was filed on March 8th, only several days before the sinking lid policy of the Tauranga City Council came into effect on March 14th.
Under the policy, no more electronic gambling machines or gambling venues could be added in Tauranga. So, the Council rejected the application because the tavern did not own a liquor licence at the time. In a letter dated March 25th, with which the application was rejected, the environmental monitoring manager of the Tauranga City Council, Andrew McMath, explained that the application had been considered in violation of the new sinking lid policy.
The Lion Foundation, however, argued that the tavern that is owned by Kiwi Wines N Spirits had applied for a publicly notified liquor license, to which there had not been any objections. In addition, the Foundation cited a piece of legislation, under which no liquor licence was required for the operation of pokies, and no precedent would be created with the situation.
New Sinking Lid Policy Suspends Gambling Machines to Be Added to Local Venues
As explained in the rejection letter by Mr McMath, the new sinking lid policy only allows new venues to be established in case that the operator currently holds a liquor licence. TAB venues were not affected by the restriction.
Under the new gambling policy, no new pokies or gambling venues could be established, as it is the Tauranga City Council’s intention to slowly reduce the gambling offerings available to local people. At the time when the Council negotiated and considered the new gambling policy earlier in 2019, it became clear that some new areas generating growth, like Tauriko, might not be allowed to offer poker machines under the provisions of the new policy unless an already existing venue received permission to move their operations there.
This is not the first time when the policy has been described as controversial. A number of sporting, social and community groups have opposed the Council’s decision to adopt the sinking lid policy, saying that it would end up with the reduction of the funding which gambling trusts have been bringing.
The new gambling policy was proposed by the Tauranga City Council in October 2018 as the first step of its efforts to eliminate pokies in the city. Public consultations were held at the time, with more than half (63%) of local taxpayers supporting the sinking lid policy. Professional services and charities which help problem gamblers and former gambling addicts also backed the measure, which has been expected to help authorities tackle constantly increasing gambling addiction rates and gambling-related harm.
- Author
Olivia Cole
