A popular family-friendly pub at one of Brisbane’s busiest shopping centres has been given the green light to install 45 poker machines, despite community objections.
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In a Facebook post on Tuesday, local Greens MP Michael Berkman slammed a decision by the state government regulator to approve the new pokies at the Pig ‘n’ Whistle at Indooroopilly.
“Our volunteer-run community survey found 80 per cent of respondents opposed the pokies, while just 4 per cent supported. Just 30 per cent had even heard about the application,” Mr Berkman wrote.
“This would mean 45 pokies in a family-friendly environment at the Indooroopilly shopping centre, right next to the food court and cinemas. It's directly next to the westside's biggest bus interchange.
“The location is so grossly inappropriate that the regulator rejected an almost identical application back in 1998.
“The regulator had that evidence in front of him, and he STILL [emphasis his] approved the application.”
Mr Berkman argued the decision showed the rules were “rigged” against local communities in favour of the pokies' lobby.
“There is no requirement for the regulator to notify anyone about their decision except for the applicant,” he said.
“We found out about this decision completely by accident, since the head of the regulator happened to be on ABC radio this morning on another issue.
“There is no ability for the community to appeal to (the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal) - only to the courts.”
Asked about the suitability of the location of the new pokies at a press conference on Tuesday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “My understanding is … that’s actually outside the shopping centre itself.
“That’s a matter for the independency of the (Office of) Liquor and Gaming (Regulation).
“I’ve only just found out about that issue. I’m quite sure the Attorney-General will make a statement about that.”
Queensland has a statewide cap of 19,500 gaming machines for hotels and taverns.
The cap is managed through a scheme whereby any licensee who wants to install and operate gaming machines needs to purchase an operating authority for each one via a tender process run by the public trustee.
A spokeswoman for the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation said the licensee had submitted a community impact statement as part of its gaming machine licence application.
"In the case of the Pig 'n' Whistle at Indooroopilly, the gaming machines are approved to operate in a designated gaming area which is not easily accessible," she said.
"It is located at the rear of the premises. The machines would not be visible to persons outside of the hotel, including from inside the shopping centre.
"Further, as a condition of their licence, the licensee is required to ensure the gaming machine area is under constant supervision to ensure that minors do not enter the area."
Last month almost 200 LGAQ delegates expressed frustration that the government continually approved extra poker machines without consulting the respective councils.
Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said the right to decide the location of poker machines should remain with the Queensland government.
But Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk said he agreed councils should have extra say in where poker machines were placed.
"However the reality is the way the law is today these are not decisions that council can make," Cr Quirk said.
"Those matters are made by the state government and they decide whether or not an approval is given. Again, this is a state decision.
"The reality is the state has approved it and they would have had to consider all the facts in relation to that before they made the decision."
