No new pokie machines will be allowed in the Far North after the district council reconfirmed its sinking lid policy on the gambling machines that take millions of dollars out of the region every year.
The council on Thursday reconfirmed a sinking lid policy on pokies, meaning no new gambling machines are allowed in the Far North and redistribution of existing machines will continue to be restricted.
The decision was made after a review of the Class 4 Gaming and TAB Venue Policy (2014).
The sinking lid policy was adopted in 2014 and includes strict rules for relocating Class 4 gaming venues. It means new premises must be at least 100m away from schools, marae, places of worship and other community facilities. The policy also prohibits stand-alone TAB venues in the district that are not on licensed premises. The policy does not control TAB outlets on licensed premises.
Community consultation on the policy change was held in February, with 30 public submissions received. Of those, 29 were either fully or partly in support of the policy extension.