I believe so Jackie, I'd heard this somewhere earlier also. Denise ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie C" <jackiecall@netspace.net.au> To: <AUS-VIC-HIGH-COUNTRY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 7:43 PM Subject: [HC] Beechworth > Wasn't this the publican who tried to change the name of Tanswells? > Jackie > http://heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11174710%5E2862,00.htm > l > >>From today's Herald Sun. > Historic town fights against Pokies > Danny Buttler > 25oct04 > > A SHOWDOWN is looming as the quiet Victorian town of Beechworth fights to > remain pokies free. > > An application by local publican Chris Chriscoll for a gaming licence has > galvanised a community that drew on people-power to crush an attempt to > introduce one-armed bandits in 2000. > Community groups, council and business leaders fear pokies would threaten > their town's economy. > > And their planned fight-back coincides with church calls for the Federal > Government to step in to remove ATMs from pokie dens. > > The Uniting Church and Inter-Church Gambling Task Force said the > Government > could use its banking powers to stop independent operators from moving in > when big banks had removed their ATMs from the venues. > > In Beechworth, historically associated with bushranger Ned Kelly, locals > fear the impact of the one-armed bandits. > > Vic Issell, who helped organise the 2000 campaign, said the community had > already sent a clear message to gaming operators that they should stay out > of town. > > Mr Chriscoll's application to the Victorian > > Casino and Gaming Authority is not for a specific venue. > > But locals fear it is the first step towards bringing pokies into the > historic gold-mining township. > > "It is a surprise that they would wish to apply again, it's clearly > against > the community's wishes," Mr Issell said. > > "If they apply for the venue to be in Beechworth, there would be very > large > opposition to that application. > > "I don't want to speak for everyone else, but if people were opposed to a > hotel installing them, then they might chose not to go there." > > Hotelier Mr Chriscoll said he was merely renewing an existing venue > operators licence and had no desire to share any more information with the > local community. > > "There's nothing to say, I'm just not prepared to educate these people," > he > said. > > The VCGA said Mr Chriscoll faces a probity check to see if he was of fit > character to hold a licence. Only then could he apply to install machines > in > a specific venue. > > The local member for Benambra, Tony Plowman, warned that anyone who tried > to > bring pokies into town would be wasting their time and money. > > "They'll never come to Beechworth, the community doesn't want them," he > said. > > "To my mind it would destroy the whole tenor of what this town stands for, > it's a tourist town built on history and heritage. Pokies have no part of > that." > > Indigo Shire mayor Bill Hotson, who presides over one of a handful of > pokies-free municipalities in Victoria, said the area was lucky to have > missed out on the electronic gambling boom. > > Cr Hotson said poker machines were available just 25 minutes away from > Beechworth. > > Federal Family and Community Services Minister Kay Patterson has asked > banks > to trial a range of restrictions to make it harder for problem gamblers to > access money at gaming venues. > > >