Whangarei Gambling Action group
Whangarei Gambling Action group (GAG)
The Whangarei Gambling Action Group is a collaborative community group formed in late 2003 to provide a public health response to the Whangarei District Council policy on Class 4 Gambling Venues.
This proposed policy explored three options:
- No control: which would ultimately see pokie numbers rise to about 526;
- Partial control: pokie numbers could rise to about 439;
- Total control: pokie numbers to stay the same.
The council was proposing option 2 – partial control. Council received 97 submissions on the draft gambling policy. 69 submissions supported a total control policy, 14 supported partial control and 8 wanted no control. At a meeting of the council on 3rd March 2004 the Whangarei District Council adopted a Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy and Board Venue Policy close.
Other key actions GAG has been involved with include the Parasites on Poverty campaign, and actions to support Gamble Free Day.
The WDC has set up a Gambling Focus Group and members of GAG are strongly represented. Members of GAG worked with the WDC to produce pamphlets and posters aiming to reduce gambling related harm.
Through the medium of the Gambling Focus Group, GAG was instrumental in working with the WDC to undertake a Social Impact Assessment on Gambling.
GAG also fought, and won, a battle with the council to prevent the establishment of a new TAB venue with nine pokie machines at Okara Park - a gambling free area of Whangarei.
The latest focus of GAG is to generate submissions from the community against the councils proposed policy which allows relocation of venues. Written submissions close on Friday 10th August.
Membership of GAG fluctuates during times of action but there is a core group of members that form GAG. They include Diane Matthews a counsellor with the Problem Gambling Foundation, Warren Moetara, Petrina Reti and Layla Lyndon-Tonga, community health workers, from Nga Manga Puriri, Tim Howard a community development worker from Northland Urban Rural Mission and Ngaire Rae, health promotion advisor, Manaia Health PHO. co.nz
Contact Details
Diane Matthews
Problem Gambling Foundation
PO Box 884 Whangarei
09 4302033
0274 894 802
Email Diane.matthews@pgfnz.org.nz
Tim Howard
Northland Urban Rural Mission(NRUM)
09 4307464
027 3089216
Emailthe-farm@ihug.co.nz
Ngaire Rae
Manaia Health PHO
17 Norfolk Street
PO Box 1878
Whangarei
09 4381015
021 773468
Email www.manaiapho.co.nz
Layla Lyndon Tonga
021 437562
email Layla@ngamangapuriri.org.nz
Petrina Reti
021 4333288
email Petrina@ngamangapuriri.org.nz
Warren Moetara
021 437561
email warren@ngamangapuriri.org.nz
Bianca Edwards
Family Works
09 4376299
027 2419778
Email biancae@northern.familyworks.org.nz
Nga Manga Puriri
1A First Ave
PO Box 1911
Whangarei
www.ngamangapuriri.org.nz
