Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (15:40): Once again the member for Eildon is doing the heavy lifting for the opposition. She is just on her feet, isn’t she? She is up and about and on her feet, and she did not need any protection at all this time, so it was very, very good.

I welcome the opportunity to stand and contribute to this debate in support on the Gambling Regulation Amendment Bill 2023, and I am pleased that the opposition are supporting it. I would like to thank the Minister for Racing and the member for Narre Warren South for their contributions. As many people know, I am a big fan of racing. I am a member of the Ballarat Turf Club and I am a member of the Ballarat & District Trotting Club, and I am pleased to be supporting this Gambling Regulation Amendment Bill 2023 that will provide certainty for the Victorian racing industry.

This bill will amend the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 to permit multiple wagering and betting licences and to remove the ‘no less favourable’ racing industry funding requirement for awarding a wagering and batting licence. This bill will also make consequential amendments to references to the wagering and batting licence in the Casino Control Act 1991 and the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998. I would really like to thank the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, her office and the department for the work they have done to bring this bill to the house.

Racing is a major economic driver for Victoria, contributing $4.7 billion annually and supporting more than 34,000 jobs, including more than 700 full-time jobs in Ballarat. It was great to have the Minister for Racing in Ballarat just last week, meeting with the Ballarat Turf Club, Ballarat greyhounds and the Ballarat & District Trotting Club.

The bill before us today alters the phrasing of several definitions and clauses within the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 to facilitate the possibility of multiple wagering and batting licences operating simultaneously. Phrasing in one section of the Casino Control Act 1991 and one section of the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 are also similarly amended.

The bill itself does not prescribe an exact number of wagering and batting licences to be issued. Instead it inserts a new provision in the Gambling Regulation Act that assigns this decision to the minister. The minister may also decide upon periods of exclusivity for future licences, which at their discretion may be set for a shorter amount of time than the overall length of the licence. If this exclusivity period is applied to a licence, then no new wagering or betting licence may come into effect during that time. Exceptions are allowed for incoming licensees to undertake necessary preparation with certain constraints before their licence comes into full effect. Together, these proposed changes will facilitate a move from the current framework, where only a single wagering and betting licence can be in effect at a given time, to one which allows for multiple licensees to operate concurrently.

In light of this, this bill specifies that if a licensee seeks an amendment to their licence, the minister may require them to notify any other licensees that may be adversely affected. Any objections may be lodged in writing within 28 days of notification and must be taken into account by the minister when considering the amendment proposal. Alterations are also proposed to the criteria that must be met before a licence is granted. Existing provisions require a proposed licensee’s arrangements with Racing Victoria and the racing codes to be no less favourable than those before them.

But this now poses an insurmountable obstacle to the awarding of future licences. As such, for any licence taking effect after mid-August 2024 the minister will no longer be required to consider the funding arrangements between the licensees and the racing industry. Removing the ‘no less favourable’ requirement is vital to ensuring a competitive licensing process. The requirements reflect market conditions from past decades, prior to the entrance of bookmakers licensed in other states and prior to the proliferation of online betting.

In the current market, this hampers the state’s ability to award a licence that will provide Victoria with the greatest possible benefit. It also poses the real risk of no licence being in place after 2024, which would (1) negatively impact employment (2) forgo significant government revenue and (3) see wagering activity shift from retail locations to online services, where the risk of harm is even greater. The no less favourable funding condition is no longer tenable, and as such this bill proposes that it be appropriately removed from the act. A transitional provision is included, which will apply to the forthcoming licence expiration only, ensuring that arrangements between the existing licensee, VicRacing and Racing Products, must have the opportunity to conclude satisfactorily. Additionally, this house this week will be debating separate legislation to provide vital long-term funding certainty for the Victorian racing industry. It is very important that that is before the house this week. If passed, the Gambling Regulation Amendment Bill 2023 will commence the day after royal assent. However, the bill does stipulate that any future licences cannot come into effect before the current licence expires, which, as I have mentioned previously, is due to occur in August of next year.

The Andrews Labor government is committed to a strong and sustainable Victorian racing industry that makes a positive contribution to Victorian communities, including in Ballarat and the electorate of Wendouree, home to the Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club and the Ballarat & District Trotting Club in Redan. I visited the Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club on Thursday 11 May 2023, just last week, with the Minister for Racing and the member for Ripon to announce the allocation of funding from the Victorian Racing Industry Fund to support the upgrade of the kennel buildings at the Ballarat greyhound racecourse. I wish to thank Ballarat Greyhound Racing president Craig Fletcher, board member Paul Armstrong and club general manager Jodie Faralla for warmly welcoming us to the club.

Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club holds 125 greyhound race meetings annually, and approximately 100 trainers operate out of the venue, with 527 greyhounds in training. The new purpose-built facility will set a standard for greyhound care in Victoria, prioritising animal welfare and the health and safety of trainers and participants. The project will deliver a fully enclosed building that is more energy efficient and provides improved accessibility. The design provides more natural light and includes 112 kennels, wash areas, a swab kennel bay, private isolation kennels, a stewards room and storeroom and a grassed outdoor area. I am pleased that local builder CIQ Construction Management is delivering the project and supporting local subcontractors and local jobs. Further supporting infrastructure projects, such as the new kennel building upgrade at Ballarat, ensures greyhounds and participants have the necessary facilities to be working in a safe environment.

The Victorian government is also investing in Victoria’s racing industry in Ballarat and across Victoria through the Jobs Victoria Ballarat racing project and the Jobs Victoria statewide racing project. I am very pleased that the Victorian government is investing $3.1 million through Jobs Victoria to fill 200 roles in the racing industry with disadvantaged jobseekers. Significantly, 100 of these roles will be filled at the Ballarat Turf Club, with Skillinvest delivering the remaining 100 elsewhere in regional Victoria and in metro Melbourne. Roles on offer through the Jobs Vic Ballarat racing project include stablehand, track rider and grounds management. These projects include paid pre-employment training, including Racing Victoria’s employment start project, and participants can also complete certificate-level qualifications for racing stablehand or racing track work rider roles.

It was fantastic to be at Cumani Racing at the Ballarat Turf Club on Thursday with the owner Matt Cumani, the Minister for Racing and the member for Ripon to meet stablehand Nyandeng Sallivanmusyoka, who is a participant in the Jobs Victoria racing project. Nyandeng and her family arrived in Australia as refugees, and she has now commenced a new career with the support of the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council and Jobs Vic. We are delivering great outcomes for the people of my electorate in Wendouree and in Ballarat and the state. I commend the bill to the house.

Want to find out more about bills before Parliament? You can read up at legislation.vic.gov.au, see more parliament.vic.gov.au, or reach out to chat with my office.

Otherwise, take a look at more of my speeches to Parliament right here.