By Dion Teasdale
OLD soldiers say a last minute back-down by council bosses against club poker machines has saved their venue.
The veterans’ win means the Upper Yarra RSL will press on with a much needed $1 million club upgrade which will be partly funded with extra pokies at the club.
The club’s acting president Rob Worlley said he was relieved by the victory.
“At times over the past few years the future of the club has looked uncertain but now we can move forward and ensure the survival of the club,” he said.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges withdrew its objection at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing last week.
Withdrawal of the shire’s objection to the reinstating of a lapsed planning permit ends five years of disputes and set backs for the RSL club.
The club first applied in 2001 to have its gaming licence increased by 10 extra poker machines, bringing the total of gaming machines at the club to 30.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges, which has a strict policy of opposition to gaming machine increases, objected and the case proceeded to a VCAT hearing.
VCAT granted the club the gaming machine increase and the club was subsequently granted a planning permit to build new facilities at its home in Settlement Road, Yarra Junction.
However, due to a number of setbacks, including the death of the upgrade project coordinator, the planning permit expired last year and the shire refused to grant an extension, forcing the parties to head back to VCAT last week.
Mr Worlley said while he was relieved the shire had withdrawn its objection, the club was frustrated by the shire’s handling of the matter.
“We welcome the shire withdrawing its objection because it means we can get on with our upgrade,” he said.
“However, the shire’s treatment over this issue has been frustrating and we feel like we’ve wasted a lot of time and money.”
Mr Worlley estimated the club had wasted 12 months and about $20,000 preparing to fight the shire over the extension of the planning permit at VCAT.
“The shire could have saved us all a lot of bother if they had come to this decision earlier,” he said.
Mr Worlley said the shire’s objection to an increase in gaming machines was motivated by political pressure.
“Councillors don’t want to be seen to support gaming but with gaming not everything’s as black and white as the council might like,” he said.
“In reality, increasing our machines by 10 is not much. There isn’t a high number of machines in the area, our venue is out of the way – people can’t drop in, they have to drive to reach us – and the social impact won’t be that great.”
The shire’s director of planning, building and health James Lamour Reid said the shire was disappointed with the outcome of the case.
He said the shire decided not to proceed with its objection because it was felt that the VCAT hearing would focus on the building permit and not on the shire’s concerns about an increase in gaming machines.
“The club took the case to VCAT on a technicality and it became clear to us that we couldn’t pursue the matter on the grounds of objecting to the increase in gaming machines,” he said.
The shire’s manager of community relations James Martin said the shire did not have any ill feeling toward the club but was committed to maintaining a strong stance against gaming machine increases.
“The shire holds serious concerns about the impact of this increase in gaming on Upper Yarra communities,” he said.
“Ten new machines is a substantial increase and the increase has broader social implications for the area.”
Mr Worlley said the upgrade of the club, estimated to cost $1 million, would include the construction of a new gaming room, dining room and kitchen, and new car parking facilities.
He said he was confident that construction would commence before the end of the year and hoped the new facilities would be operational within the next 12 months.
