Gaming venues restricted in strip shopping centres

The Minister for Planning and Local Government, Robert Maclellan, has approved a list of 361 strip shopping centres across metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong as locations where new gaming venues will either be restricted or excluded.

The Government asked all Councils to nominate strip shopping centres, or parts of them, in which they sought to restrict the establishment of new gaming venues.

Mr Maclellan said the approval of the restrictions was an important step in giving municipalities a greater say in where gaming venues should be established, especially in relation to traditional retail areas.

Measures already exist to restrict new gaming venues in major shopping centres, and following this approval no new gaming venues in nominated areas of the 361 strip shopping centres are permitted, except for small venues in existing hotels and clubs.

The approved list currently covers 13 Councils and the nominations of the remaining municipalities will be assessed before the end of the year.

A temporary ban on new venues in strip shopping centres in municipalities yet to be assessed is still in force.

The approved nominations are part of Amendments S76 and VC5 to planning schemes, which came into operation in March 1999.

To help the public gain an understanding of the new restricted areas, maps of each of the 361 centres are being prepared, and will be made available for inspection at each of the relevant Councils and the Department of Infrastructure.

Three councils (Delatite, Cardinia and Golden Plains) nominated no centres, and consequently restrictions on new gaming venues in the 23 strip shopping centres on those Councils are now lifted.

Two councils (Brimbank and Monash) nominated all but two of their 115 centres (in total).

One council (Hobsons Bay) nominated parts of 11 of its 25 centres.

Seven councils (Boroondara, Greater Geelong, Kingston, Melton, Moonee Valley, Port Phillip and Stonnington) nominated all 234 centres in their areas.

The number of strip shopping centres in each municipality where restrictions on new gaming venues have been approved is as follows:

• Boroondara City 45
• Brimbank City 46
• Greater Geelong City 59
• Hobsons Bay City 12
• Kingston City 40
• Melton Shire 6
• Monash City 69
• Moonee Valley City 33
• Port Phillip City 18
• Stonnington City 33

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Planning and Local Government, March 29, 1999)