Media release
30 July 2012
Community victory over pokies

A Nelson community group that has been fighting for two years to get pokie machines removed from a bar in Victory Square has finally won its battle.

The Nelson Gambling Policy Taskforce is delighted the nine pokie machines in Brewers Bar will be removed this week after the Gambling Commission denied the Trillian Trust’s appeal to retain them.

Taskforce Chairperson, Darci Goldsworthy, says this is a huge victory for the community.

“We chose to speak out about pokies being allowed in a place that’s just metres from two kindergartens, the shops and the playground. How could our council intentionally change the law to specifically allow that to happen? It was wrong in so many ways” he says.

“Pokies are dangerous machines and communities have a right to say whether they want them. It’s in the law. No one would listen to us at first but we had two young lawyers come on board and they helped us take our case to the High Court. And now look what’s happened. The High Court and the Gambling Commission have said we were right all along. We were entitled to have our say on whether pokies should be in our neighbourhoods or not. So now those machines are coming out. “

In August last year the Taskforce went to the High Court and won a ruling that Nelson City Council erred in the way it changed its gambling policy to allow pokies near community facilities. But when the Department of Internal Affairs cancelled the licence for Brewers Bar, following the court ruling, The Trillian Trust lodged an appeal and were allowed to keep the machines running while the appeal process was completed. On July 27 the Gambling Commission denied the appeal saying the machines must be removed from Victory Square within a week.

Darci Goldsworthy says despite the process and the length of time it has taken to get the pokies removed, it has all been worth it.

“It is a victory for our community and we hope it inspires other communities to speak out and not give up. Pokies do not belong in our neighbourhoods and it’s time councils and the government acknowledged the harm they cause. Saying that pokies trusts give millions to communities is just rubbish – those millions come from the people not the trusts and they intentionally target the people who can least afford to lose it” he says.

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