May 5th, 2024Council formally opposes pokies bid for Romsey pub

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council has formally endorsed a submission to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission opposing an application for 50 electronic gaming machines in the Romsey Hotel.

In considering the submission at its recent April scheduled meeting the council noted that the proposal would have a net detriment of 0.66 on the wellbeing of the community under the ‘no net detriment test’ (a result below 1 (<1) indicates a negative impact, a result above 1 (>1) indicates no detriment has been concluded).

A community survey commissioned by the council – conducted by an independent company – received 1493 responses, with 60.36 per cent of respondents believing 50 electronic gaming machines in the Romsey township would have a negative impact on the broader community and 59.93 per cent of respondents not supporting the application.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission will consider the application – including the council’s submission – at a hearing commencing May 21 this year.