Mr LUGG - 1998-10-06
The select committee report on the effects of poker machines in community venues which was tabled in this House in February 1995 recommended a comprehensive review take place in 1998. That time is upon us, or almost past us. We have had gaming machines in clubs and hotels for nearly 3 years. Can the honourable minister advise the House when the review is to take place?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I know his interest in, and support for, many of the sporting and community organisations that have benefited from this government’s process of introducing gaming machines into wider community venues. As honourable members would remember, this government took the decision some 3 years ago to introduce poker machines into community venues for the community benefit. Until then, gaming machines were the sole, exclusive domain of the 2 casinos - the one we have in Darwin and in Alice Springs. The government took this decision as a means of adding an extra means of revenue for many sporting and community organisations, to try to give them a little more independence than they had previously experienced.
Certainly, I think the broad conclusion must be that that particular policy has been a tremendous success. When we look at the effects of the introduction of the gaming machines in this jurisdiction, as opposed to some of the southern jurisdictions, then I think it has been a remarkably smooth process. I think much of that has to do with the intentions of the government at the time and also the good work done by the select committee whose membership was the current Minister for Health, the member for Nhulunbuy and me.
One of the recommendations was that a review should take place in 1998, after machines had been in venues for some 2 to 3 years. We had initially hoped that gaming machines would be introduced to the public in July of 1995. This proved to be somewhat ambitious in terms of a target and it was not until New Year’s Day of 1996 that poker machines were introduced into community venues. Such is the case that we have arrived now in a scenario 2 years later when it is timely to instigate the recommendation of the select committee, time to take a comprehensive review of the state of play here in the Northern Territory. This will be done in conjunction with a broad based baseline study of gaming in the Northern Territory, which was another recommendation of that select committee which was readily picked up by this particular government, endorsed and commissioned. That baseline study has now been returned in draft form. I certainly have not yet seen a copy of that, but I believe it has arrived at the department, as I said, currently in draft form. We expect that final copy to be rushed up and presented very shortly; as has been provided by the Australian Institute of Gambling Research, a most respected gambling research body, and probably the most respected of those bodies in Australia.
Madam Speaker, as I have said, this review has been recommended by the committee, and I can advise honourable members that I have commissioned Mr Otto Alder, who worked closely with the first committee, in undertaking that particular review to look very broadly across the board with a series of terms of reference, which I am happy to table for honourable members, Madam Speaker. I table those terms of reference ...
I spoke earlier this year to many stakeholders in the community, to the hotels association and to many clubs, to advise them that before the year was out we would have an undertaking of this particular review and if the time was right at that stage to start preparing their thoughts and their submissions to this particular inquiry. It is meant to be as broad based as possible. I encourage all stakeholders, or any interest group whatsoever, who have any intention or interest in this particular area to make full use of this process and to certainly exercise their right of input into what I think is a very important process.
On the whole I think honourable members would agree that clubs and community organisations have greatly benefited from the introduction of poker machines. I will simply be keen to see where some of that money is going. Is enough of it getting through to the community venues as we had anticipated? Is the community benefit in that particular area being serviced to the maximum potential? There are many questions that we will be looking at and I certainly encourage all stakeholders to take part in this process. I encourage all honourable members in this place to examine the terms of reference and have the appropriate input as this process will take place between now and the end of the year.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I know his interest in, and support for, many of the sporting and community organisations that have benefited from this government’s process of introducing gaming machines into wider community venues. As honourable members would remember, this government took the decision some 3 years ago to introduce poker machines into community venues for the community benefit. Until then, gaming machines were the sole, exclusive domain of the 2 casinos - the one we have in Darwin and in Alice Springs. The government took this decision as a means of adding an extra means of revenue for many sporting and community organisations, to try to give them a little more independence than they had previously experienced.
Certainly, I think the broad conclusion must be that that particular policy has been a tremendous success. When we look at the effects of the introduction of the gaming machines in this jurisdiction, as opposed to some of the southern jurisdictions, then I think it has been a remarkably smooth process. I think much of that has to do with the intentions of the government at the time and also the good work done by the select committee whose membership was the current Minister for Health, the member for Nhulunbuy and me.
One of the recommendations was that a review should take place in 1998, after machines had been in venues for some 2 to 3 years. We had initially hoped that gaming machines would be introduced to the public in July of 1995. This proved to be somewhat ambitious in terms of a target and it was not until New Year’s Day of 1996 that poker machines were introduced into community venues. Such is the case that we have arrived now in a scenario 2 years later when it is timely to instigate the recommendation of the select committee, time to take a comprehensive review of the state of play here in the Northern Territory. This will be done in conjunction with a broad based baseline study of gaming in the Northern Territory, which was another recommendation of that select committee which was readily picked up by this particular government, endorsed and commissioned. That baseline study has now been returned in draft form. I certainly have not yet seen a copy of that, but I believe it has arrived at the department, as I said, currently in draft form. We expect that final copy to be rushed up and presented very shortly; as has been provided by the Australian Institute of Gambling Research, a most respected gambling research body, and probably the most respected of those bodies in Australia.
Madam Speaker, as I have said, this review has been recommended by the committee, and I can advise honourable members that I have commissioned Mr Otto Alder, who worked closely with the first committee, in undertaking that particular review to look very broadly across the board with a series of terms of reference, which I am happy to table for honourable members, Madam Speaker. I table those terms of reference ...
I spoke earlier this year to many stakeholders in the community, to the hotels association and to many clubs, to advise them that before the year was out we would have an undertaking of this particular review and if the time was right at that stage to start preparing their thoughts and their submissions to this particular inquiry. It is meant to be as broad based as possible. I encourage all stakeholders, or any interest group whatsoever, who have any intention or interest in this particular area to make full use of this process and to certainly exercise their right of input into what I think is a very important process.
On the whole I think honourable members would agree that clubs and community organisations have greatly benefited from the introduction of poker machines. I will simply be keen to see where some of that money is going. Is enough of it getting through to the community venues as we had anticipated? Is the community benefit in that particular area being serviced to the maximum potential? There are many questions that we will be looking at and I certainly encourage all stakeholders to take part in this process. I encourage all honourable members in this place to examine the terms of reference and have the appropriate input as this process will take place between now and the end of the year.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016