Nicolette Boele (Bradfield, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

When communities consider major redevelopment proposals, the question before us is never merely one of land use or architectural form. It's a question of values. What kind of neighbourhoods do we want for our families, for our young people and for the future? In my electorate of Bradfield, there's a proposal to redevelop the St Ives Shopping Village. The proposal includes an enhanced retail space, new restaurants, cafes, outdoor dining and an entertainment precinct anchored by a seven-screen cinema. The developer also wants to repurpose buildings to make way for a tavern, The ground floor of which would house a 200 square metre gaming room. I've had nearly 60 constituents contact me about this. The theme of the correspondence is that the proximity of the poker machines to a family friendly shopping precinct, which has an existing playground, a skate park and cinemas proposed, is socially irresponsible and would dramatically change the character of the village. We already have 737 electronic gaming machines in Bradfield, and constituents are telling me we don't need more. Residents have also raised concerns about the broader social impacts associated with poker-machine gambling related stress.

These are not hypothetical issues. They reflect a deeply personal experience for some families—increased financial hardship, mental strain and family breakdown, including the heightened risk of domestic violence and research that has repeatedly linked these to gambling related stresses. Nationally, Australians lose $13 billion every year on poker machines alone, according to analysis by the Australia Institute, and these losses are not evenly spread. They come disproportionately from people experiencing stress, loneliness, housing insecurity and other vulnerabilities. Importantly, local residents have made it clear that they support redevelopment, but they support redevelopment with purpose. What they want are facilities that strengthen the social fabric—a local flexible arts and performance space, community health services, and other infrastructure that supports families rather than exposing them to preventable harms.

Some community members have shared personal stories, including experiences of growing up in households affected by poker-machine addiction. One resident described gambling as 'secretly destructive', saying that it ruins individuals, tears apart families and eventually communities, because strong communities are made up of healthy, grounded individuals and families. Their words reflect the quiet but profound harm that gambling can cause when it's woven into everyday environment. I rise today to speak volumes to the concerns expressed by an increasing number of people in the St Ives area and surrounds. A redevelopment of this scale should be an opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient and connected community, not to introduce risk known to undermine those very goals.

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