MEDIA RELEASE

18 October 2001

Gaming Decisions Rest With Community - ‘Where They Belong’

Local Government New Zealand congratulates the Government for taking account of the community’s desire to be consulted and have a say in decisions about the location of casinos and gaming machines in our cities and districts.

The review’s findings include recognition that community groups should take part in casino re-licensing hearings and that they, the communities themselves, have the power of veto on the introduction of new gaming machines if they wish.

Local Government New Zealand says that the decision about gaming machines is very much one that local communities should make – rather than having decisions imposed from a central agency.

Local Government New Zealand is unclear, however, as to how the transitional process will work, in particular the suggestion that councils have a “retrospective veto”. This is something that still has to be worked through.

Local Government New Zealand says it loosk forward to working with the government on the development of appropriate community based mechanisms for regulating the location and spread of machines, and ensuring that the gaming industry reflects rather than dictates community desires.

Contact person:
Mike Reid
Strategy Leader, Governance
025 240 6787

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>