The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation yesterday completed hearings into a proposed development in the Old Goods Shed in Kennedy Street.

“If anything our resolve is stronger now,” Enough Pokies in Castlemaine (EPIC)chairman David Stretch said.

“The committee, we all do this on a voluntary basis. We have taken two days away from work and away from our families to stay in Melbourne and attend the hearings.

“We have put a lot of heart and soul into this.”

The Maryborough Highlands Society is behind the push to bring more poker machines to Castlemaine.

But the Mount Alexander Shire Council refused to back the bid and made a submission at the hearings. A council phone survey of 400 residents found three quarters of respondents were against the proposal in November. Mr Stretch said the VCGR would decide on the application before February 5.

“We were reasonably pleased that there were about eight community members that were able to address the commission today,” he said yesterday.

“We remain unconvinced that two days was adequate enough to fully hear the evidence.”

Mr Stretch said EPIC was in the battle for the long run.

“We won’t stop until this thing is stopped,” he said.

– Brett Worthington