Maribyrnong mayor Grant Miles says the decision by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation to reject a bid for 19 extra poker machines in Braybrook is a win for the community.
The Braybrook Hotel wanted to increase its number of pokies to 50 as part of a $6.2 million redevelopment.
The application was knocked back by the commission on October 31 following hearings on September 16 and 17. The commission is expected to provide its reasons for the decision by November 28.
Cr Miles said the rejection was “common sense”, and he would like fewer pokies in Melbourne’s west.
“I’m not saying we should have none, but there’s an over-concentration of pokies in Maribyrnong,” he said. “As a council, we have limited powers, which is frustrating.
“Maribyrnong has some of the worst poker machine use in the world, not just Australia.”
Braybrook has 81 electronic gaming machines.
A spokesman for the Braybrook Hotel’s owner, Armada Hospitality Group, said it was disappointed with the decision.
“The real disappointment is for the people living in Braybrook and within the greater Maribyrnong and Brimbank communities, who will not at this stage get the opportunity to enjoy a state-of-the-art facility with so many offerings,” he said.
