By Ewen McRae
Melton council has approved a planning permit for a new hotel in Truganina, including space for 60 electronic gaming machines.
A proposal for a four-storey hotel on Greigs Road and a single-storey hotel on Clara Avenue in Truganina came before council at last week’s meeting. The plans include space for 400 visitors, a gym and pool, meeting rooms, sports bar, bistro, and a gaming room.
When complete, the hotels are expected to create 57 full-time jobs.
Council planning services manager Bob Baggio said Melton was well under its state government-imposed cap on electronic gaming machines, and the benefits of the hotel should see it approved.
“The City of Melton has a municipal cap of 824 gaming machines, and currently there are 523 machines across the existing venues in the municipality,” Mr Baggio said.
“So we are well under the ministerial cap on those machines.
“It is also noted that the venue will also provide a full range of hotel facilities and services to patrons and is likely to be a real asset in the area.”
A recent report from the Alliance for Gambling Reform stated that $10.5 million had been stopped from going to Melton electronic gaming since the enforced COVID-19 shutdown of venues.
Councillor Sophie Ramsey raised concerns about the introduction of more pokie machines into the municipality.
“We will always be under that cap on gaming machines, because we are a growth corridor with more people moving here every day,” she said.
“It’s the gaming losses that concern me, because they are quite significant when it is compared statewide, and that worries me.”
The applicant said they would make $90,000 available each year in community contributions as part of their gaming license.
The council unanimously supported the proposal.
