OBJECTIONS against the redevelopment of St Kilda Football Club’s Moorabbin Reserve hang in the balance.
The AFL club and Kingston Council are trying to strike out opposition to pokies at the venue ahead of a possible VCAT hearing next year.
Lawyers for the Saints and Kingston Council argued at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal practice day session last Friday (18 November) that the demolition and rebuilding of premises at Linton St should not mean the club must reapply for a licence for its 83 pokies machines at the venue.
Objectors say a new gaming venue needs to apply for a fresh planning permit for the electronic gaming machines. They note only the oval and street address will remain once the $28.4 million redevelopment is complete.
Nicholas Tweedie, SC of Bazzani Scully Priddle spoke on behalf of the AFL club and Maddocks lawyers represented council at Friday’s pre-hearing at VCAT in Melbourne.
Anti-gambling activists, including Saints member Paul Bendat, have criticised the retention of pokies at Moorabbin Reserve since children will visit the new sporting precinct when it is used by Kingston junior sports clubs.
Mr Bendat, who is not a party to the VCAT appeal, has previously said the pokies should be removed since taxpayers and ratepayers are pitching in the majority of funding for the multi-million dollar refurbishment.
The $28.4 million redevelopment, that was due to start this year, is being funded by Kingston ratepayers via Kingston Council ($5 million), taxpayers via the Andrews Labor state government ($4 million) and a pledge by the previous Napthine Coalition government ($8 million), the AFL ($5 million) and the club itself ($5 million).
St Kilda Football Club confirmed a pre-hearing took place last Friday.
“Following a recent practice day hearing regarding the Moorabbin Reserve redevelopment, the sitting member has reserved their decision and will provide it to parties at a later date, as is standard practice,” club spokeswoman Leah Mirabella said in a statement.
Kingston Council said it is had attended the VCAT practice day session last Friday.
“As is standard practice, council appeared at the tribunal in its role as the planning authority to present the reasons it had resolved to approve the planning application for the Moorabbin Reserve redevelopment project,” council planning and development general manager Jonathan Guttmann said.
Legal fees to Maddocks cost ratepayers $2964 for council representation at the pre-hearing.
Pokies at Linton St raked in a $2,222,365 jackpot in punters’ losses in the 2015-16 financial year, up from $1,048,688 in 2014-15 and $1,174,966 in 2013-14.
It is believed that a delay in construction of new premises at Moorabbin Reserve until a proposed VCAT hearing in June next year could add at least $500,000 to the cost of the Linton St redevelopment.
All parties, including objectors, are keen for any VCAT hearing to be brought forward to avoid project cost overruns.
The Saints, council and objectors were given no indication on Friday of when VCAT will decide if objectors will be granted a full appeal hearing.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 23 November 2016
