The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liqour Regulation hearing is slated for July 4, but mayor Margaret O’Rourke, while maintaining a decision hasn’t yet been made, questioned the further use of ratepayers’ cash. 

“There is a feeling that the rate of success is not that great,” Cr O’Rourke said.

“My personal thinking is that the best spend of ratepayers’ money?

“I’m not sure that legal representation is going to assist a great deal based on the results (VCGLR hearings) so far.”

The City of Greater Bendigo director strategy and growth, Bernie O’Sullivan, told a council meeting on Wednesday the likelihood of success for local governments at VCGLR hearings was “around five per cent”.

“Certainly there has been discussions around whether the cost of having legal representation is a good investment for the likelihood of success,” Mr O’Sullivan said.   

Councillors on Wednesday voted to not support Bendigo Stadium’s application to install the new machines, partly on the advice of a report by city social planner Lindy Wilson, which suggested the application would have a negative effect on the community.   

The report, which came at a cost of $70,000, also recommends council consider engaging a solicitor and expert witness for the hearing.

Councillor Jennifer Alden said: “In an ideal world, we would throw money at everything, but it’s not feasible to do that.”

Cr O’Rourke confirmed the city, which has already made a submission to the VCGLR, would send a staff member to the hearing, which will be attended by Bendigo Stadium’s legal representatives and an expert witness.

“We’re fair dinkum about this application,” said Bendigo Stadium director Brendan Goddard, who estimated lawyers and an expert witness could cost the council close to $30,000.  

“We didn’t expect anything else from the council. Given the weight of evidence that they claim, you wouldn’t expect anything else, but equally people are underestimating mobile phones (gambling applications) and their problem on society. 

“In the end it’s one person’s opinion against the other. 

“We have to remember, for good or bad, it (gambling) is a legal activity.” 

Councillor Andrea Metcalf told the council meeting that since 2012, the VCGLR had 138 hearings for poker machine applications, 131 of which – or 95 per cent – were approved. 

Eighty of those decisions were opposed by local governments at the VCGLR hearings, where, according to Cr Metcalf, 75 were approved. 

Bendigo, under current legislation, can have a maximum of 756 machines, said Cr Metcalf, who was the only councillor to vote against the motion not to support the bid. 

Bendigo has 641 machines and a successful application would make it 685.