Crocodile tears

INTERESTING to read that Beaconsfield developer Robin Daley is crying foul and blaming the Cardinia Shire for delays with his Pink Hill Hotel development (Gazette, 20 April).
This proposed development with its 60-poker machines has created a great deal of “anti-pokie” response from the local community, which resulted in its rejection by the Cardinia Council. In 2010 the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal gave Mr Daley 12 months to start the job and three years to complete it with some amendments to his plans, which included his proposed glass playroom for the children’s playroom that would enable the pokies players to watch kids while not having to leave the machines.
While Mr Daley is blaming everyone else for his problems it is interesting that on his own admission he is still to submit his amended plans to VCAT, which will now be heard in August.
Mr Daley is sick of the red tape and just wants to get on with his development as the delays are costing the community jobs and growth. The truth is that Mr Daley’s crocodile tears are a result of not being able to have his poker machines on site as the land surrounding his development is quickly being transformed into housing with potential customers for his pokies.
His claims that his hotel is going to be a boon to the region are certainly debatable. While the hotel may provide a degree of employment for locals this positive is negated by the fact that the pokies are a concern, particularly for problem gamblers who annually lose $2.5 billion.
Mr Daley states that there is justification for pokies as the density of poker machines in the Cardinia Shire was 35 per cent below the metropolitan and state averages and further states that “you can’t argue against the machines on that basis as the ratio of machines per population is well down”.
I’m sure that Federal independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Nick Xenophon would find plenty to argue about as they push to have major changes to the poker machine legislation. Statistics show that there are over 200,000 poker machines in Australia with around 600,000 regular players of which 30 per cent are either problem or at risk gamblers.
The fact that the poker machine lobby group has put up $20 million to fight the push by Wilkie and Xenophon is a clear indication that we are talking billions not millions of dollars.
Mr Daley’s Pink Hill development is perfectly placed to tap into the type of cliental who could be tempted to play his pokies and thus increase his profits at the risk of creating a degree of family breakdown and misery.
He further state’s that “there is more population expected with this development of urban growth – and you can’t have that many people without some social activities”.
You would have to be joking Mr Daley. Where is the social activity with pokies, when players sit there hypnotised by the flashing lights hoping for the big drop from a machine that is programmed to lose 14 cents in every dollar that is fed into it?
If Mr Daley really wants to develop social activity why not create an atmosphere where families can dine as a group with play rooms for kids with all the latest electronic equipment, a social atmosphere with entertainment for all age groups. This is what the young modern family is searching for, not a place that divides but a place that brings families together which in turn will develop a better community.
Let’s hope that VCAT rejects Mr Daley’s amended plans and that the Independent MPs convince the Gillard Government to reduce the number of poker machine and have some control on the amount of money being annually wasted on these anti social machines.
Gary King,
Kooweerup.