Gambling Venue Policy 2018
Overview
The Nelson City Council Gambling Venue Policy regulates the number and location of Class 4 gaming machines ('pokies') and Totalisator Agency Board ('TAB') venues within the Nelson district.
Dates
The current policy was adopted in December 2018.
Under the Gambling Act 2003 and the Racing Industry Act 2020, Council is required to review its Policy every three years and most recently undertook a review in August 2021. Council met to consider the review on 9 September 2021 and decided to maintain the existing Policy.
Policy objective and rules
The objective of Council’s Gambling Venue Policy is to have regard to the social impact of gambling within the Nelson City Council district in determining applications for consent relating to Class 4 and TAB venues.
Key rules include:
- A cap of 162 on the number of electronic gaming machines allowed to operate in the district.
- A limit of five electronic gaming machines allowed at new venues (this is stricter than the governing legislation which sets a maximum of nine).
- Provision that new venues cannot be located in:
- land zoned Residential or Open Space and Recreation
- areas identified in maps attached to the Policy (see link below)
- high deprivation areas or within a 100 metres of any playground, kindergarten, early childhood centre, school, place of worship or an automatic teller machine (ATM).