INDIGO Council has hardened its campaign against poker machines entering its shire by joining a national gambling reform group.
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The shire, which covers Beechworth, Rutherglen, Chiltern, Yackandandah and Tangambalanga, has long opposed poker machines and is the only North East council area with no gaming venues.
Upon the initiative of councillor Don Chambers the shire has become a member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
It involves organisations such as church and community groups who are seeking to reduce the impact of poker machines.
The alliance wants to lower the maximum bet on pokies in Victoria to a $1 per bet by the end of 2018 and harness the support of councils to tackle the location of machines.
Cr Chambers believes Indigo's membership of the alliance will bolster its opposition to poker machines.
"You bet,” Cr Chambers said.
"This gives us added strength for any defence against an approach for poker machines.
"It's reinforcing the Indigo defence of 'no pokies'."
Indigo council's director of development and planning Mark Florence said being part of the alliance would give the shire access to planning information.
He said the shire planning scheme had no provision for where poker machines could be sited if a development application was successful.
"This alliance can help with the planning scheme to make it stronger to stop pokies coming in,” Mr Florence said.
Indigo has not had formal interest in a bid for poker machines since 2004.
At that time representatives of Tanswell's Commercial Hotel at Beechworth applied to the Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority for a gaming machines operator's licence.
However, the application did not proceed after community opposition which included the council declaring its determination to remain pokie-free.
"We believe in what we are doing, and it is a different way of life in Indigo Shire because we don't have poker machines," then Indigo mayor Jenny Dale said.
"There is nothing against anyone personally but we don't want to let poker machines into this shire."
Indigo's decision to join the alliance for gambling reforms follows new data for poker machine expenditure across the North East showing more than $20 million was lost in Benalla, Wangaratta and Wodonga over the last financial year.
Mr Florence said he was unaware of whether other North East councils would join the alliance.
"It's something that could be brought up, but they would need to consider it themselves," he said.
"There's been recent press about the losses that have been occurring, so it is something they could consider."
Indigo Council is not required to pay a fee to be part of the alliance.
Last month, a trial of a voluntary pre-commitment scheme, YourPlay, began at 14 venues across Victoria.
It involves poker machine players signing on a for a swipe card that allows them to set their own limits, set reminders and track their time and spending on gaming machines.
No North East sites are in the trial but by December all machines in Victoria must offer the option of the pre-commitment system.
