A proposal for a "sinking lid" policy for poker machine and other gambling venues in Dunedin has proved by far the most popular among those having their say on a Dunedin City Council review of the issue.
Council liquor licensing and projects officer Kevin Mechen said the "huge majority" of more than 800 submissions received on the issue had preferred the "sinking lid" approach.
Such a policy would mean a prohibition on all new sites, and, as the number of venues or machines fell, there would be no more approvals for new venues, or increases in their number.
That information differed from what the council provided last week when the Otago Daily Times asked for figures from the submissions.
This was the result of a mistake that occurred when the figures were put together from a spreadsheet, Mr Mechen said.
Staff were still processing the submissions, so exact figures were not yet available.
The council is reviewing its gambling and TAB venue policy.
It was last reviewed in 2007.
It stopped short of the "sinking lid" policy then, instead introducing a policy that prohibited new venues in residential or recreational areas unless they were for organised sporting venues.
Staff have recommended staying with the status quo, and a hearing on the matter will sit on February 18, before Crs Michael Guest, John Bezett, Fliss Butcher and Colin Weatherall.
