Page 4447 - Week 14 - Thursday, 28 November 2013

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to make community contributions; however, it is compulsory for them to submit a record of their contributions along with a financial report to the commission.

The legislation outlines the broad purposes that a contribution must meet to be approved by the commissioners as a community contribution. In addition, guidelines in the Gaming Machine Regulation 2004 provide further assistance to the commission and to licensees as to what types of expenditure would be approved as a community contribution.

The report provides information on three key aspects: the extent to which the licensees used their revenue to make community contributions; the level of contributions to each reporting category; and legislative compliance by the gaming machine licensees.

The commission’s report outlines that the total value of community contributions from clubs in 2012-13 was $13 million. This is an increase of 2.3 per cent from $12.7 million in the previous year. In 2012-13 the club industry had a net gaming machine revenue totalling $99.5 million, a decrease of 2.4 per cent or $2.5 million on the previous year. The community contributions as a proportion of net gaming machine revenue were 13.1 per cent in 2012-13, higher than the 12.5 per cent in the previous year and, again, well above the eight per cent minimum contribution required. Worth noting is the charitable and social welfare contributions of $1.3 million or 10 per cent of the total contributions. This is an increase of 16 per cent on the previous financial year.

While there is no minimal level requirement for the community contributions from hotels and tavern gaming machine licensees, three of the 10 machine licensees in the report made community contributions. Total contributions from hotels and tavern licensees were $8,741, a 5.6 per cent decrease on the previous year.

I table for the information of members of the community contributions by gaming machine licensees as prepared by the Gambling and Racing Commission.

Government—overregulation

Discussion of matter of public importance

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Gentleman): Madam Speaker has received letters from Ms Berry, Dr Bourke, Mr Coe, Mr Doszpot, Mr Gentleman, Mr Hanson, Mrs Jones, Ms Lawder, Ms Porter, Mr Smyth and Mr Wall proposing that matters of public importance be submitted to the Assembly. In accordance with standing order 79, Madam Speaker has determined that the matter proposed by Mr Doszpot be submitted to the Assembly, namely:

The issue of overregulation in the ACT.

MR DOSZPOT (Molonglo) (4.00): It is interesting and quite indicative of the conflicted approach this government takes to enhancing Canberra’s image to look at the front page of today’s Canberra Times. We have at the top of the front page a great story about the work that has been done to create a new brand and image for Canberra.


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