Wyndham council’s anti-gambling policies are having unintended consequences on a weekly lunch gathering designed to get elderly residents out of the house.
According to volunteers and participants in the ‘Lunch with a Bunch’ program, a Wyndham council ruling that the lunches can’t be held at venues that have pokie machines, has resulted in more expensive meals and less participants.
Wyndham council helps run the program by providing a bus to transport participants to and from the lunches, which have been operating three times a week for the last 17 years.
For program volunteer Margaret Bennett, the impact of the anti-pokie policy has been stark.
“When I first started it, they were always full buses,” said Ms Bennett.
“We used to go to the Werribee RSL and have a two course meal for $5.50. At the Hoppers Club, it was a two course meal for $8.60 which was so affordable.”
Pokie machine venues, especially RSL and sporting clubs, generally offer cheaper meals and drinks thanks to subsidies from gaming revenue.
But after returning from the COVID-19 break , Wyndham’s anti-gaming venue policy was enforced meaning Lunch with a Bunch had to find new, more expensive venues, eventually settling on The Bridge Hotel and The View in Werribee.
“The Bridge Hotel is $23 for one course meal and a glass of lemonade or Coca Cola,” Ms Bennett said.
“The View ranges from $17.50 up to $25 up if you have dessert.”
While some attendees can pay the increased prices, Ms Bennett said most were pensioners and couldn’t afford to come as often or at all.
“Numbers have dropped dramatically,” she said.
In a statement Wyndham council confirmed it had required Lunch with a Bunch to move venues.
“Wyndham City has a Gambling and Harm Minimisation Policy which does not allow any council events to be held at venues with gaming machines,” said a spokesperson.
“Of course, residents can attend venues which include gaming machines either individually, or in a group, outside of council-run programs.”
Lunch regular, 84 year old Pat Conport of Werribee, said few of the participants even played the pokies, but that it should be their decision whether they did or not.
“We may be elderly, but we’re not stupid,” Ms Conport said.
“We’re not children and we really should be able to have a choice.”
