Councillors stick to pokie status quo

BY NICHOLAS BOYACK

Hutt City councillors have rejected an option to clamp down on the number of pokie machines in the city.

With one slot machine for every 124 people aged 18+, Lower Hutt has the highest number of pokies per capita of the region's four cities. Wellington City has one pokie machine for every 177 people but is debating cutting back to one for every 300.

Councillors on Hutt City's strategy and policy committee last week rejected an officer's recommendation that Hutt cap pokie machines numbers in the city at 470 and instead supported the status quo of having the maximum number of machines allowable under the law. That potentially could increase the number of pokies from 566 (Dec. 2009) to 575 machines, or one machine for every 123 people 18+.

Key points in the officer's report included: A significant amount of gambling in Hutt City is in low socio-economic areas with high proportions of Maori and Polynesian. In the year ending October 2009, $10.5 million was spent on pokies in the low socio-economic areas of Taita, Naenae, Wainuiomata and Stokes Valley. As of December 2009, there were 566 gaming machines in Lower Hutt. Hutt City is bucking the national trend of machine numbers being in decline. Many of the trust-owned pokie machines in Lower Hutt are run by national societies based outside Lower Hutt.

The decision on who receives grants is often made by people living in areas like Auckland or Dunedin. It is impossible to find out what community groups have been declined and whether low socio-economic areas of Lower Hutt get any actual benefit. The Problem Gambling Foundation estimates there were 1954 problem gamblers in Lower Hutt as at July 2009, but based on statistics and research their habit which directly affects 13,678 people (family, employers, etc). Half of problem gamblers are Maori or Polynesian.

Local gamblers lost more than $28 million in 2009 on pokies and problems resulting from addiction to pokie machines include domestic violence, alcohol abuse, employment problems and mental health issues.

But councillors were less than impressed with the data in the report. Margaret Cousins said council officers had "loaded" the report and she did not accept the accuracy of the data.

She said it should be recognised there is a positive side to pokie machines in that many sporting clubs benefit from grants.

Strategic development manager Wendy Moore said that she was proposing a cap on the number of machines. Hutt City has a high number of machines and a high level of expenditure on pokies.

Councillor David Bassett said he did not accept the claims in the report about lower socio-economic areas and the link to gambling.

Ms Moore said that information came from detailed research.

"I can assure you the statistics are accurate."

Councillor Roger Styles argued that controlling pokie machine numbers and the harm done by them was not an issue for the council. Many sporting clubs and community groups also rely on the money from pokie machines, he said.

''It is a legitimate fundraising source and if you close down that source, with a sinking lid policy, we will have clubs coming through this door each year [seeking funding from the council].''

Councillor Deborah Hislop was the only member of the committee to express concern about the impact of gambling.

''I would temper that with a thought about the mother and father who are not at home because they are glued to the pokie machine; whilst there is a certain amount of good, there is also a certain amount of harm.''

Mrs Cousins expressed concern about public consultation on the proposed sinking lid policy. That would only result in opponents of gambling organising a campaign and distorting the debate, she said.

The city council, local hockey, Mitchell Park tennis and many local sporting clubs all get significant grants from pokie machines. ''We certainly have to be careful about the consequences of our actions,'' she said.

- Hutt News