Council approves Gambling Venues Policy

Buller District Council (BDC) approved the new Gambling Venues Policy at its Regulatory and Hearing Committee Meeting on 22 April 2026. 

The new policy introduces tighter controls on the number and location of Class 4 Gambling machines (pokies) and stand-alone TAB venues across the district.  

Under the new policy, the number of Class 4 gambling venues and machines is capped at eight venues and 66 machines. The policy also restricts any new venues from being located within 50 metres of community facilities or sensitive sites, such as schools. 

The new policy removes the requirement that applications for new venues or additional machines be publicly notified and that submissions or objections be made by the community and stakeholders.  

The reasoning for removing the public notification requirement is that, unlike the previous policy, the new policy provides very clear guidance on the total number of venues and machines.  

Applications will still need to be submitted and comply with the other requirements in the policy, which must be taken into consideration when evaluating each application. 

Group Manager Regulatory Services Simon Bastion says the new policy aims to strike a balance between harm reduction and maintaining the community benefits that gambling revenue can bring.  

“We know there are real concerns about the impacts of gambling, and each submitter who spoke to the committee expressed their view well. Finding a balanced approach is particularly important with some of our community facing social and financial hardship.” 

The new policy will be reviewed in three-year intervals by the Council to ensure it meets the community's needs.  

The new policy was informed by earlier community engagement, a social impact assessment, relevant legislation, and the eight submissions received. 

Details of the consultation, including the draft policy, supporting documents, submissions, the submission report, and the final policy, are available on BDC’s community engagement hub, Let’s talk Buller.

-ENDS- 

For further information please contact: 
Community Engagement Team   
Buller District Council 
Media.Enquiries@bdc.govt.nz    

Disclaimer 

The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.