Page 2638 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 25 September 2007
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Clubs provide contributions to non-profit activities such as schools, educational institutions, a range programs and to Anzac Day, Australia Day and the celebration of Canberra Day. The list goes on and on. Clubs also contribute to a range of infrastructure. I mentioned the support that the Tuggeranong Vikings provide in the valley. Clubs across the ACT in that same range of activities provide similar levels of support, particlarly annual support for sport.
However, clubs continue to face challenges while maintaining those very significant contributions. One of those challenges, of course, has been the smoking bans that commenced in December 2006. They were introduced to provide a healthy environment for people to work in and undertake their leisure activities and they have resulted in a decline for clubs. It is relevant to note that, despite a decline in revenue of 9.5 per cent this last financial year, clubs in fact increased their community contributions from $12.5 million to $12.8 million. That is an impressive 2.9 per cent increase in community contributions in a year when their turnover decreased by 9.5 per cent. I think it goes to show just how seriously clubs are taking their community contributions.
Clubs provide a significant contribution to our community which is largely obtained from gaming machine revenues. The government acknowledges that it has to balance the revenue aspects with a responsible approach to the negative aspects that some people may experience in managing their gambling activity. It should be remembered that for many people—in fact, for the vast majority of people; well over 90 per cent—gaming machines are a harmless source of entertainment. It is their choice to spend small amounts of money on the pokies as part of their relaxation and their socialising. In that context and for those people there is no harm done to anyone and people should have the freedom of choice to gamble or to utilise poker machines in that way.
However—and Mrs Dunne has made the point well—for a small number of people there are significant difficulties and implications as a result of their difficulty in controlling their gambling activity, just, of course, as people have problems controlling their smoking or their use of other substances, most particularly their drinking of alcohol.
In the ACT it has been estimated that around 2.9 per cent of the adult population may have a difficulty with gambling activity. In recognition of this fact, the government continues to invest in programs and initiatives to address problem gambling issues, including funding of counselling programs and undertaking research into gambling and problem gambling issues. The government contributed $341,000 this year for counselling services for Lifeline. The club industry, through their gambling care program, also makes significant contributions—somewhere in the order of $240,000 a year—to Lifeline for gambling services.
In addition to direct funding measures, the government is finalising amendments to the Gaming Machine Act 2004 to encourage clubs to increase their contribution to help tackle problem gambling. Licensees will be able to claim $4 towards their community contribution obligations for every $3 they spend to assist with problem gambling concerns.
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