Live music has come out a winner after parliament rushed through a gambling reform package to allow the casino development to go ahead.
The Legislative Council today passed the Bill, which tied legislation relating to the Adelaide Casino redevelopment with gambling reforms, after negotiations this week between the crossbenchers, government and opposition.
The Bill has been controversial, with Clubs SA claiming on ABC radio this morning that Attorney-General John Rau’s advisers were “intimidating”.
Several clauses will be recommitted this morning to make the maximum bet limit on poker machines $5.
“I held productive talks with the Opposition and cross-benchers this morning about the Government’s gambling reforms,” Rau said before the bill was passed this morning.
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“The outcome I expect to be bittersweet – disappointing for problem gambling reform but it clears the decks for the passage of the Bill.”
The Government has lost a key part of its gambling reform package with the removal of the “minor” (under 20 machines) and “major” (up to 60 machines) poker venues distinction; instead, non-casino venues will now have a cap of 40 machines.
The move to have major venues had been criticised by Family First, which argued it would create “super venues” likely to be owned by Coles and Woolworths.
Greens MLC Tammy Franks successfully moved amendments which will see an increase in live music funding as well as a removal of gag clauses in gambling-related government contracts.
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More money from the $20 million Community Development fund will go towards live music. The fund was established more than a decade ago at $500,000 and will now increase with CPI to $850,000.
“This is a small amount in the scheme of overall pokies money, but will have a big impact on live music – a sector well recognised as having been adversely impacted by the introduction of pokies,” Franks said.
She also moved an amendment which would see gag clauses removed from government contracts with non-government organisations.
Save Live Australia’s Music SA spokesperson Ryan Winter said the increase in funding would make a strong statement to the industry and went some way to reversing a perceived diminishing level of support from the Government.
“This is overcoming some frustrations that the sector has had,” Winter said.
“At the end of the day it’s an increase in opportunity that we haven’t had for a very long time in the government-based funding sector.”
The problem gambling measures, including automated risk monitoring and capped ATM withdrawals in poker machine venues, will now be introduced at the same time as the Federal Government changes.
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