HORSHAM Rural City Council will seek feedback from the community and gaming industry to develop an electronic gaming machine policy.
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The council will be the first rural municipality in western Victoria to adopt a formal stance on gambling.
Chief executive Peter Brown said council would launch a comprehensive consultation program including discussions with Wimmera Uniting Care's Responsible Gambling Working Group and gaming machine licensees and a public forum for councillors and the wider community.
He said any future policy adopted by council would be likely to contain aspects of social and planning policy including exploration of council's role in advocating responsible gambling.
Mr Brown said council would release the following draft position statement to the public for comment:
"Horsham Rural City Council believes gaming machines provide a net disbenefit to the community, but acknowledges gaming machines are legal and already exist in our community and cannot be removed by Horsham Rural City Council regardless of any policy stance it takes," he said.
"Council prefers that gaming machines are operated at club venues in preference to pub venues because there is a greater level of socially responsible behaviour in respect to problem gamblers and a greater level of profits are distributed into the community.
"Council believes the current cap of 148 machines is the maximum number of machines which should be allowed in the community."
Cr Bernard Gross said the policy would be important for the future of the city.
