Kyneton Bowling Club must wait until mid-September for the outcome of Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy, which will determine its future.
The policy threatens to shut down KBC’s pokies, raising uncertainty about the club’s future sustainability as it would prevent any form of gambling at council-owned or managed sites. It introduces a series of changes to council’s approach to gambling in general.
Last week, councillors engaged in passionate debate resulting in a 5-3 vote in favour of changes to the policy said to “soften” its impact on the bowling club.
However, a rescission motion lodged shortly after the meeting means the matter is not yet at rest. Councillors will consider the rescission motion on September 16. Until then, both councillors and the bowling club have last Wednesday’s meeting to digest.
Cr Jennifer Anderson moved the officer’s recommendation to adopt the policy, which made clear the removal of EGMs from council owned/managed sites was not negotiable.
“We are wanting to work with the club to do this, our staff will make sure there is a timeframe. It’s not that tomorrow, suddenly there will be no EGMs,” she said.
The bowling club is the only EGM operator in the shire currently leasing a council site. It has relied on the income of EGMs since 1995 but its lease with council is up for renewal in 2027.
While Cr Annette Death and Rob Guthrie also signalled support for the officer’s recommendation, Cr Mark Ridgeway foreshadowed a motion that he said would “give the bowling club some latitude”.
He said the community felt the bowling club should have some sort of exemption and he did not believe in was council’s role “to dictate how an organisation should conduct its business”.
His motion removed those ties between EGMs and the lease, and made it the responsibility of the council to ‘encourage’ the bowling club to make a decision to divest itself of EGMs and also to help find a solution.
However, both Anderson and Death flagged concern over the lack of timeframe and clear action. Cr Death said the alternate motion had “no teeth”.
“I think it’s disheartening and disappointing,” she said.
“The wording in this motion does not hold any obligation to the Kyneton Bowling Club.”
Cr Anderson argued the alternate motion had no timeframe “so the club could do nothing”.
When put to the vote, Cr Ridgeway’s alternate motion won favour 5-3. A division recorded councillors councillors in favour were Pearce, Neil, Ridgeway, Walker and West.
Those against were Crs Anderson, Death and Guthrie. Cr Domonic Bonanno was not present at the meeting.
The rescission motion will considered at the council’s September 16 meeting.