Page 3351 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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covered by this, it would simply allow three smaller clubs, being the tennis club, the Harmonie German Club and the Austrian Australian Club, to also be excluded from the cap on ATMs.
I do not think it is a big ask. In the original bill it was only 10 machines, which, of course, would have excluded the ACT Rugby Union Club, which so eloquently put to the public accounts committee that their dependence was on their ATM rather than on their pokies. At least it has moved from 10 to 15, which included the person who made the case, but I do not see the harm in including another three smaller clubs. If the fees from ATMs are important to the survival of small clubs then it is important that we give as many small clubs as possible the opportunity to have that windfall, if they choose to have an ATM or not, so that we do keep our diverse range of clubs alive.
One is a sporting club and two are ethnic-based clubs. Those sorts of clubs have been very much the mainstay of the club industry in the ACT. I do not think it is a large step. If one consults the list there, after that you are really talking about clubs that are up in the high 30s, 40s and 50s, or they are members of a club group, anyway, so they would not be covered.
I think it is a reasonable amendment. I do not think it is too much of an ask and I would ask members to consider at least allowing those other three clubs to be included within this cap.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Leader, ACT Greens) (11.12): We will not be supporting this amendment. The Greens’ view is that there should be no exemptions, so we certainly cannot support an increase in the numbers, as proposed in Mr Smyth’s amendment.
I think Mr Smyth was referring to the Lyneham tennis centre. It is interesting that the other night the Belconnen Community Council were given a presentation on the fantastic redevelopment plans they have for that centre. Part of that is going to be handing back the poker machines, and they were warmly applauded by all those attending that meeting. We will not be supporting the amendment put forward by Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth’s amendment to Ms Burch’s amendment No 13 agreed to.
Ms Burch’s amendments, as amended, agreed to.
Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The question is that the bill, as amended, be agreed to.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Community Services, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Women and Minister for Gaming and Racing) (11.14): I want to take a moment to thank the public accounts committee for the work they did on this. I have had a number of
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