NEWS DESK
Pokies protection ‘strong enough’
Black Sorrows on their way A FAVOURITE of the live music scene Joe Camilleri and his Black Sorrows will be back in town next week to launch a new album. The Faithful Satellite album, out this week (16 September) is the successor to the band’s last original album, released in 2014, Certified Blue. Joe Camilleri and long-time writing partner, Nick Smith, continue to effortlessly embrace all musical styles. The album touches on everything from samba and swing, to rock ‘n’ roll and blues, and shows Camilleri is still a singer, songwriter, musician, performer and producer at the top of his game. As frontman of the seminal 70s band, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Camilleri was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. With The Black Sorrows, Camilleri has achieved worldwide success, with hit songs such as Chained to the Wheel, Harley & Rose and Hold On To Me. Last year their Endless Sleep album was nominated for the 2015 ARIA award for ‘best blues & roots album’, and reached number 13 on the Euro Americana chart last year. The Black Sorrows will perform at Frankston RSL, 12 October.
THE state government has backed two regulators’ right to decide an upgrade to a children’s playground at the Langwarrin Hotel is “a social benefit” to be taken into consideration when approving 10 more pokies machines at the venue. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in August overruled Frankston Council’s refusal of the Langwarrin Hotel’s bid to increase the total number of machines at the pub to 62 (“Child’s play for more pokies at pub”, The Times 19/9/16). The VCAT decision followed a Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) ruling earlier this year that also took into account the “social benefit” of weatherproofing a children’s play area at the Langwarrin Hotel when approving hotel owner Beretta’s application for more pokies. A spokeswoman for state Labor Gaming Minister Marlene Kairouz, Miriam Phillips, said existing legislation is sufficient to shield children from gambling at pubs and clubs. “There is strong legislation in place to clearly separate gaming areas from other areas in facilities used by families,” Ms Phillips said. “Venues are regularly inspected by the VCGLR to ensure they are complying with these standards.” The Times asked if the Gaming Minister thinks it is appropriate that upgrades to a children’s play area are linked to an increase in pokies
New feel: Joe and his Black Sorrows are a staple of the music scene.
machines at a venue. “How clubs choose to spend their revenue is a commercial decision for the clubs,” Ms Phillips said. Frankston Council said it was disappointed with VCAT’s decision to set aside its rejection of the planning permit application. “We are concerned about the message this sends to local families and the long-lasting impact that gaming has on one of the most vulnerable communities in Victoria,” Council CEO Dennis Hovenden said. Last month the Alliance for Gambling Reform - a group including South Australian senator Nick Xenophon, Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie and anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello – surveyed council candidates across Victoria asking their views on councils “having proper authority having proper authority over the location of poker machines in their respective communities”. Ninety-eight per cent of 493 council candidate respondents said they supported a greater say for councils. In Frankston 11 of 36 candidates responded to the survey according to the alliance. All said they wanted council to have more power over the location of pokies. Beretta’s and the VCGLR have refused to respond to all media questions about the Langwarrin Hotel pokies application. Neil Walker
Conduct hearing docs stay secret Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au DOCUMENTS related to councillor code of conduct arbitration hearings will not be released after deputy mayor Cr Colin Hampton requested they be sealed from public view forever. At last month’s public council meeting councillors voted for the documents and hearing outcomes to be brought into open council but a subsequent notice of motion at the same meeting by Cr Hampton stated: “The arbitration reports … remain in closed council indefinitely”. Crs Glenn Aitken, Brian Cunial, James Dooley, Sandra Mayer and Michael O’Reilly voted to release the documents
but then backed Cr Hampton’s notice of motion ordering the documents be sealed. Cr Darrel Taylor and Cr Suzette Tayler had been ejected from the meeting for 30 minutes by mayor Dooley, as meeting chair, at the time of the voting because the mayor believed comments made at the meeting were slanderous (“‘Dirty laundry’ aired at council”, The Times 26/9/16). The documents, seen by The Times, include emails between councillors and evidence given to the arbitration hearings that show bitter personal feuding mostly unrelated to council policies and decisions amid accusations and counter-accusations of “bul-
lying” and “harassment”. Acting Frankston Council CEO Tim Frederico said council had also sought legal counsel after the council meeting that advised the documentation could not be released due to “privacy and legal obligations”. “Council has been advised that none of the information from the confidential report can be released to the public,” Mr Frederico said. “In view of this advice, the information will not be released in any form.” The acting CEO said Cr Hampton’s notice of motion also “supplanted” the previous notice of motion when councillors voted to release the arbitration hearing documents.
Council CEO Dennis Hovenden confirmed last month that it cost ratepayers about $19,000 to pay lawyers to adjudicate on five complaints against three councillors – Crs Darrel Taylor, Suzette Tayler and Rebekah Spelman – by fellow councillors Dooley and Aitken. Lawyers found no merit in three of the complaints, including Cr Aitken’s complaint about Cr Spelman and Cr Dooley’s complaints about internal council emails sent by Cr Darrel Taylor. Lawyer ruled phrases used by Cr Taylor and Cr Suzette Tayler in Facebook comments about council matters breached council code of conduct provisions and they should publicly apologise. Cr Darrel Taylor claimed the com-
plaints were payback for against the three councillors was motivated by the outcome of an independent panel hearing that in June found Cr Colin Hampton breached Local Government Act code of conduct behaviour clauses over the way he was “aggressive” towards two council employees at a public function at The Deck bar in Frankston late last year. The mayor ordered Cr Taylor from the meeting, saying he had been “defamed” since he was effectively being accused of “bias”. Cr Hampton has tabled the exact wording of the apology Crs Taylor and Tayler must make at a public council meeting on Monday (10 October).
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Frankston Times 10 October 2016
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