At a full meeting of the Dunedin City Council yesterday, councillors voted unanimously to adopt a city-wide sinking lid for gambling machines as part of changes to its gambling and TAB venue policy.
The new policy means the council will not allow an increase in the number of electronic gaming machines in the city.
It also bans any new gambling venues and prevents existing outlets from relocating.
A clause was added to the original proposal to allow venues to relocate if they were affected by natural disasters, fires or acquisition under the Public Works Act.
South Dunedin has had a sinking lid policy since 2013 which has led to a 21% reduction in the number of gaming machines.
Venues in South Dunedin are exempt from the relocation clause.
A council report on gambling machines found that despite the number of venues and machines steadily declining, spending rose from $16.4 million in 2015 to $16.6 million in 2016.
More than 50 public submissions were made on the proposal, 35 of which supported the change.
But it was opposed by gaming trusts who administer the machines and some of the sporting and community groups who received money from those trusts.
Gambling and TAB venue policy committee chairman Cr Aaron Hawkins said while the ultimate aim of a sinking lid policy was to reach zero gaming machines that was unlikely to happen for some time.
Both the council and the city now had an opportunity to find fairer ways to fund community groups, Cr Hawkins said.
''If they are of benefit then they should be funded in a much fairer way instead of relying on the suffering of some parts of the community.''
Cr Andrew Whiley said he while initially opposed the committee's original proposal, he applauded the hearings committee on finding a good balance between harm reduction and retaining the positive impact the income brought to the community.
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Watch this space next Council will rezone current places so they can't have pokies and close them down. Did they consider the booming Rich tourists that Cull promotes who visit on cruise ships? Is this New Zealand's North Korea developing? last week it was locally grown food, Cycle ways what next a giant wall around Dunedin. Is it the making of allo allo the DCC edition staring Herr Otto Hawkins and Lieutenant Hubert Cull?
You just have to love the Greens. We don't need these horrible industries, there are plenty of alternatives. Community boards don't need pokies funding, there will be lots of alternative funding models. Lots of anti stuff, just no alternate policies.
All DCC have done is reduce the number of venues with pokies. They have successfully made all the remaining venues more profitable. It would be great to read of DCC actually doing something to grow Dunedin instead of pursuing a silly ultra left agenda.