[Greens-Media] Media Release: Morgan Gambling Poll confirms Greens gambling policies are on the right track

[Greens Victoria Media]

Media Release: for immediate use
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Contact: Greg Barber on (mob) 0433  044 771

Today's Morgan Poll*, indicating that a solid majority of Victorians 
think local councils should have control over poker machine venues, 
confirms that the Greens policy on poker machines is on the right track 
say the Greens.

The Morgan Poll found that 69 percent of Victorians  think local 
councils should have control over the planning, licensing and operating 
hours of poker machine venues. The poll also found that 64 per cent of 
Victorians think local councils should have the right to declare their 
community free of poker machines.

"The Greens agree with the community," said Greg Barber, Greens gambling 
spokesperson. "Unfortunately, there is no way the Victorian gambling and 
planning ministers would ever allow it."

"If the Victorian Government acted on this strong community feeling, we 
could get pokies out of local shopping centres," said Greg Barber. "Then 
we could avoid tripping over them every time we go out for groceries."

"Despite the small sample size of the poll, these findings are worrying 
and are yet another wake up call for the Victorian Government," said 
Greg Barber. ""With ten per cent of respondents saying gambling has 
caused problems in their family, we urgently need a plan to cut the 
losses."

The Greens in state parliament after November 25, will work to**:
• Roll back the number of Electronic Gaming Machines to a statewide 
maximum of 10,000 as contracts expire, by 2012,
• Remove all poker machines from ‘convenience gambling’ locations, as 
contracts expire, by 2012 and locate poker machines only in ‘destination 
gambling’  locations,
• Implement Statewide Local Government Area-based caps, whereby no Local 
Government Area can  have more than 120% of the state average density of 
poker machines,
• Appoint a genuinely independent statutory gambling regulator charged 
with minimizing the social and economic costs of gambling, and 
protecting consumer and the public interest.

For more information and comment, please contact
Greg Barber on (mob) 0433  044 771
or
Dave Lane on (mob) 0419 156 213.

Background:
* Details of today's Morgan Poll cand be found at 
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2006/4067/
** Full details of the Greens Victorian Gambling policy can be found at
http://www.vic.greens.org.au/about-the-greens/policy/Gambling/view
The Greens Victorian Gambling Pledge can be found at
http://www.vic.greens.org.au/about-the-greens/policy/GamblingPledge/view

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