3 Venues - 89 Pokies
Telephone 5422 0333

The shire has two principal offices. Their respective addresses and functions are set out below:

Kyneton Administration Centre

129 Mollison St, Kyneton, Vic 3444
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm.
Based at Kyneton are the Chief Executive's Office, Council and Customer Service Units (including Public Relations), Governance Units (including Finance, Rates, Property and Valuations, and Information and Communications), Organisational Development Units (including Human Resources, Risk Management incorporating Occupational Health and Safety, Performance Improvement), Recreation and Cultural Development Units, Community Planning and Development, Social Planning, Children's Services, Aged and Disability Services, Youth Services, Housing Services.

Gisborne Administration Centre

40 Robertson St, Gisborne (opposite police station)
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8.30am - 5pm.
Services based at Gisborne include Planning and Building Services, Community Support (Local Laws, Animal Control, Traffic Control), Environmental Services, Waste Management, Infrastructure Planning and Design, Developments and Major Projects, and the Economic Development and Tourism units.

Electronic Gaming Machine (Pokies) Community Policy
The above heading is a link to the Macedon Ranges new pokies community policy. Public comment is invited on this policy. For further information or to give your view:
phone: Dr Lorraine Beyer, Social Planning Coordinator on 03 5422 0237
email: lorrainb@macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au or
write to: Dr Lorraine Beyer, Social Planning Coordinator, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, PO Box 151, KYNETON VIC 3444
All submissions should include your full name, address and contact numbers.
You can download the policy by clicking here.

Shire of Macedon Ranges Gaming Information Web Page


2006-2007 Expenditure Data from the VCGR all LGAs web page (all figures as at 30 June 2007)
Please note disclaimers on the VCGR web page.

Population per venue	Population (18+) per venue	Net EGM expenditure per person	Net EGM expenditure per adult	Average VIC Country EGM expenditure per adult	EGM per 1000	EGM per 1000 (18+)	Average VIC Country EGM per 1000 (18+)
13,906	10,920	$198.19	$267.84	$505	2.13	2.88	6.97

Note: There is a calculation conflict between the VCGR All LGAs web page and the VCGR web page for the Shire. The All LGAs web page shows 89 pokies in the shire. The VCGR web page for the shire shows 95 pokies. The shire's own web page shows 89 pokies and this is the preferred calculation.

VCGR Shire of Macedon Ranges Web Page

Comments:

The decision in Macedon Ranges Shire Council v Romsey Hotel Pty. Ltd. of the Supreme Court of Victoria is essential reading. In the case, a survey conducted by the shire provided 'overwhelming evidence' that people in Romsey were opposed to the introduction of pokies in their community. The court considered the meaning and effect of the requirement that "the net economic and social impact of approval will not be detrimental to the wellbeing of the community of the municipal district in which the premises are located".
Read the full decision here.
Paragraph 55 of the decision is a key paragraph and is reproduced below:

"The fact that the GR Act allows gaming to occur in approved premises does not mean that any Victorian community is obliged to accept gaming machines. Nor do the provisions in any way prevent a community (or particular members of it) from voicing ‘in principle’ objections to the introduction of EGMs. On the contrary, as we have noted, community input is to be sought ‘to the widest extent possible’."

The court goes on to state that the "impact on community members who do not gamble and do not wish to gamble, is equally relevant" to the impact on problem gamblers. They also found that "there is no basis for treating as irrelevant for this purpose objection based upon moral or religious grounds".

The Shire has made a submission to the Legislative Council Select Committee on Gaming Licensing. Download the submission. At the bottom of this web page you can download the transcript of oral submissions given by the Shire to the Select Committee in February 2008.

The Shire has supplied reference to a class action being conducted in the Province of Newfoundland, Canada relating to the manufacture of 'Video Lottery Machines'. The basis is that these machines are a deceptive practice. You can read reference to this action on the web site of the lawyers here.