This submission has been written in response to a review by the NSW Government of the ClubGRANTS Scheme. The Review will include an examination of the costs and benefits of arranging the Scheme as a tax concession, the appropriateness of the regulatory framework, and the overall effectiveness of the Scheme’s administration.
Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF) has almost two decades of experience participating as a representative in local ClubGRANTS committees across several Local Government Areas in greater Western Sydney since the scheme’s inception in the late 1990s. However, this involvement ended in 2019 as the links between ClubGRANTS and the impacts of gambling harm across Western Sydney became most evident.
WSCF’s submission puts forward three recommendations for consideration by the Review:
- Funds from gaming should support the communities most impacted by gambling harm.
- ClubGRANTS funds should not act as a substitute for government funding of local essential services; and
- Funds from gaming should be administered at arm’s length from registered clubs.
