Wesley Mission will be at the Local Government (LGNSW) Annual Conference in Wollongong from 22–24 November.
Visit us at Stand 53 to talk about gambling harm in your community, explore local information and discuss opportunities for council action.
Meet the team members who will be representing Wesley Mission at this year's LGNSW Annual Conference.
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Councils see firsthand the pressures affecting local people, families and services.
While poker-machine regulation primarily sits with the NSW Government, councils can add an important local voice to calls for stronger reform.
Wesley Mission is working with councils across NSW to build that collective voice.
There are different ways councils can contribute to gambling reform, including:
Advocating for stronger gambling reform;
Using local evidence and community experience to highlight gambling harm; and
Adding their council's voice to Wesley Mission's Put Pokies In Their Place campaign.
Councils across NSW are taking different approaches to addressing gambling harm, reflecting their local circumstances, priorities and role.
Council involvement is not one-size-fits-all. Councils can use advocacy, motions and other actions within their local role to raise awareness of gambling harm and add their voice to calls for stronger reform.
Lane Cove Council: reducing gambling harm through Council-owned venues
Lane Cove Council has adopted a Gambling Harm Reduction Policy that includes phasing out poker machines from Council-owned venues as leases are renewed, working with existing leaseholders towards poker-machine-free venues, supporting gambling harm minimisation services and raising community awareness.
Northern Beaches Council: bringing the community together on gambling harm
Northern Beaches Council adopted a Gambling Harm Minimisation Policy in March 2024. The Council has also hosted a public roundtable bringing together community members and service providers to share knowledge, ideas and solutions to address gambling harm in the Northern Beaches.
