Pokies bid to pay for $4m upgrade

Andrew Mathieson
A GEELONG entertainment complex has pinned its $4 million expansion plan on a bid for more pokies.
Waurn Ponds Hotel wants approval for 60 per cent more machines to fulfil “existing high demand for gaming” and pay for the expansion.
The hotel plans to use its increased gaming revenue to pay $2 million each for renovations of the hotel’s gaming lounge and its bistro and alfresco areas.
The hotel’s pokies would increase from 35 to 56, with the difference taken from Norlane Hotel. Both hotels operate under the same ownership.
Ratio Consultants associate director Sam D’Amico, acting on behalf of Waurn Ponds Hotel, declined to comment on the proposal.
In a planning submission to Geelong’s council, Ratio Consultants said the applicant would not be “sufficiently commercially confident” to undertake stages two and three of the expansion without approval for the pokies shift.
“The works under the existing planning permit are ultimately linked to the success of this application for the installation and use of 21 additional electronic gaming machines,” the submission said.
The gaming room can hold up to 120 patrons under its existing licence.
The submission said a recent gaming room head-count survey found that Waurn Ponds Hotel was experiencing “substantial” peak periods of demand for about 18 hours a week.
The hotel also earns existing revenue from its TAB betting agency.
The submission said the hotel also wanted five more EFTPOS machines.
Ratio Consultants said the proposal was “appropriate”, citing forecasts of “significant population growth” in the area over the next 20 to 25 years from the creation of new suburbs south of Geelong.
A City of Greater Geelong pokies “capping exercise” had not taken population growth into consideration, the consultants said.
“In our submission, the proposal will result in a net community benefit.”
“We would therefore not hesitate to commend this application to the council.”
Ratio Consultants added that shifting the machines would be beneficial for a “disadvantaged” Corio and Norlane community.
“The electronic gaming machines are being relocated from an area of considerable disadvantage (Corio/Norlane) to an area which is not displaying any particular signs of social or economic disadvantage.”
A Geelong council policy seeks to shift pokies out of disadvantaged areas after the introduction of new state gaming laws in 2012.
The Greater Geelong region has around 18.7 more electronic gaming machines per resident compared to the Victorian average.