GAMING MACHINES (MISCELLANEOUS) AMENDMENT BILL

Final Stages

The Legislative Council agreed to the bill with the amendments indicated by the following schedule, to which amendments the Legislative Council desires the concurrence of the House of Assembly:

No. 1. New clause, page 20, after line 10—

After clause 44 insert:

44A—Amendment of section 69—Right of appeal

Section 69—after subsection (6) insert:

(6a) For the purposes of this section, a person who has objected to an application under this Act is entitled to be joined as a party to any proceedings relating to the application.

No. 2 Clause 49, page 21, line 7—

After 'subsection (3)' insert:

and substitute:

(3) The annual report of the Commissioner must include the following information in relation to the financial year to which the report relates:

(a) the number of expiation notices issued for offences against this Act;

(b) the number of prosecutions commenced for offences against this Act;

(c) the number of persons barred by order under section 59 and the number of orders made under that section against each such person.

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I move:

That the Legislative Council’s amendments be agreed to.

The government accepts the amendments of the upper house. The bill has been acknowledged as a solid and well thought through improvement to the gambling regulations in South Australia. This would not have been possible without the considerable work that the community and industry presenters have contributed, whether it be through submissions to the Independent Gambling Authority or directly on the bill itself.

In the other place two amendments were passed, and as I indicated earlier, the government will support both these amendments. The first one would make it explicitly clear that an objector would have the right to be heard at an appeal. It is considered that a court would accept that individuals and community groups have objected to an application for a grant or transfer of a gaming machine licence are entitled to be a party to any appeal proceedings. This amendment makes it explicitly clear, and I am glad that in the gallery today, even though it is unparliamentary to acknowledge it, I can acknowledge Garth Palmer, a newly elected councillor to the City of West Torrens, who has returned to that honourable high and lofty role. The government is willing to accept appeals to applications of assessment. Hopefully, councils will as well.

The second amendment relates to the commissioner's annual report. The amendment specifies that information about expiation notices issued, prosecutions commenced and information on barrings must be included in the commissioner's annual report. The Gaming Machines Act currently requires an annual report on the administration of the act, but does not specify any of the details. The government is confident that the annual report is comprehensive and it is not necessary to specify this level of detail in the act, nevertheless the government does not wish to quarrel with the upper house and its concerns about the details that are proposed and that is why the government is willing to support this amendment.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the relevant agencies: the Department of Treasury and Finance, the LGC, the IGA and the Office for Gambling and members of the house, especially the shadow minister and his counterparts. Within my department, I would like to personally thank Kym Della-Torre and Bettina Venner who is someone Paul Holloway said to me the other day was exceptionally gifted at giving excellent advice to questions that were asked and he thought her very comprehensive in her work and her background, and said that she is someone to watch. I would like to thank, of course, my adviser on gambling, Mr Nick Antonopoulos, who is due to be a father very soon—hopefully, before Christmas. I can tell him now: his son must stay away from my daughter! I also thank Christine Walter, of course, and Brenton Sleep. I wish all members of the house a safe and merry Christmas.

Mr GRIFFITHS: I rise to confirm that the opposition appreciates the fact that the government has accepted the two amendments from the Legislative Council. It is obvious in reviewing the Hansard of the debate that occurred in the house and, indeed, in the other place, that a considerable amount of thought has gone into a variety of issues discussed in this bill. Some members certainly chose to make longer contributions than others in the other place—one very lengthy one. I do commend the amendments to the house and look forward to the swift passage of the bill.

Motion carried.