Minlaton TAB licence application rejected
Jenny Oldland - York Peninsula Country Times ( SA Regional Metropolitan, 5 July 2006)
Derek Robson: stunned by the rejection of the latest Pub TAB licence application for the Minlaton club.
Derek Robson, manager of the CMS Crows and Minlaton Sport Club, has recently had his fourth application for a Pub TAB licence rejected, and he's now wondering what he has to do to get someone to take the applications seriously.
"Since the hotel's decision to do away with the agency, I think the people of Minlaton have been treated like second class citizens. Why shouldn't we be able to put a bet on in our own town? Who wants to make a 50 km round trip to Yorketown, Warooka or Port Vincent to do that!" he said.
Managing the club for the past six years, with wife Angie, Derek said he was encouraged by locals to apply for a Pub TAB licence, with the application endorsed by the club's Management Committee.
"With the application refused on the first three occasions on the grounds it would not be profitable, I took advice from Peter Hoban from Waldmans Lawyers, who, through AHA members, has had previous experience in the area. He put together a major presentation outlining the plans we would put in place to house TAB facilities et cetera and it still got rejected!" Mr Robson said.
"I believe the application should be looked at on its own merits, not based on the turnover of previous operators, who were operating the oldest style terminal in the State, while we plan to install the latest computerised equipment."
Part of the problem, Derek feels, lies in the fact SA TAB is no longer owned by the South Australian Government, but by TAB Queensland Ltd.
"Now it has been sold, I don't think operators interstate care about rural SA. The 'Barley Capital of the World' is basically being snubbed by the Queensland Government," he said. "And we're not the only ones that have been knocked back. I know that the Dublin Hotel is having the same problem. I would like to know if the decision to refuse the application is coming from officers in this State or Queensland."
Derek has now taken his fight one step further, and recently the Hon. Caroline Schaefer took up the club's cause in State Parliament, asking that she, and the Minlaton community, be furnished with information as to how SA TAB can determine a Pub TAB licence in the town would not be financially viable when other towns of similar size or smaller are profitable.
Mrs Schaefer also asked what pressure could be bought to bear on SA TAB to change its decision to allow the club to provide this facility to its patrons and the public.
The matter is to be referred to the Minister for Gambling by the Hon. Carmel Zollo for a response.
Ironically, during Derek's time as manager of an Adelaide hotel, he won an SA TAB award for having the highest increased turnover during the 1998 Melbourne Cup Carnival!
Supporting local sport
With around 400 members, the CMS Crows and Minlaton Sporting Club currently employs three full-time and seven casual staff at its Main Street premises. Licensed to operate seven days if required, the club currently runs eight pokie machines, while providing meals and normal bar facilities.
Derek sees the introduction of TAB facilities as providing another service to local patrons and the many tourists who visit this area.
The added bonus is all profits from the club go back into the sporting clubs involved to assist with facility upgrades and the upkeep of the three ovals where the CMS Crows train. | End |
