Page 2459 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 August 2017
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The boost will support our local clubs to find ways to diversify. It will help them remain viable and offer services to the community without acquiring more gaming machines or relying on more money being spent on gaming machines.
Consistent with our election commitment, there is also a red tape reduction element in this bill. Eligible clubs will be able to apply for a partial refund of the tax that they have paid to date this financial year and this can be offset against future liabilities. If, at the end of the financial year, an eligible club or club group’s gross gaming machine revenue has exceeded $4 million, rebates will have to be paid back. They will also be able to lodge gaming machine tax returns, make tax payments and make problem gambling assistance fund contributions quarterly should they choose.
This measure helps clubs to manage their cash flows. The gaming machine tax rebate provisions contained in the bill will be reviewed after two years of operation, with a report to be provided to the Legislative Assembly by 30 November 2019. At that time the government will be looking to see diversification away from gaming and investment in new community services by clubs.
Although not set down in legislation, there is an important part of this package that also supports diversification. Eligible small and medium clubs and club groups will be able to apply for a $10,000 community club grant in the coming months also to assist them in diversifying their revenue away from gaming. This, as with the tax rebate, was part of the Labor government’s election commitment to support clubs.
In addition, this support measure will be implemented in a way that meets the Select Committee on Estimates recommendation in relation to the clubs assistance package. Recommendation 27 of the select committee’s report calls on the government to:
… include a requirement for clubs to provide a brief plan indicating how funds will be used to diversify their business models in order to be eligible for the one off $10,000 grant as part of the small clubs assistance package.
The community club grants will be administered by the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. There will be an application process. Clubs will have to demonstrate how the $10,000 grant will be used to assist the diversification activities and to support alternative income streams.
Uses of the grant could include the purchase of an oven or appliances for improved food and beverage offerings, new fixtures and fittings in non-gaming areas, or consultancy fees for planning and development advice. But the key purpose is to promote investment in ways to be more independent of gaming machine revenue.
The final element of the bill that I outline today is directly about harm minimisation. Harm minimisation is and will remain the focus of gaming machine regulation. Earlier in the year I announced that I would bring forward legislation to enable online access as well as physical access to social impact assessments.
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