PO Box 456 Prahran VIC 3181 AUSTRALIA
Email: Website: www.nags.org.au
A.B.N. 55 463 199 079
COMMITTEE TELECONFERENCE
MINUTES
9 July 2010 10.00 am EST
1. Present and apologies
Leigh Barrett (Chair) Bernie Dwyer
Keis Ohtsuka Mary Marquass
John Haw Matthew Stevens
Latha Raman Greg Coman
Apologies:
Kath Heading
Linda Woo
Rachel Goodwin
Paul Delfabbro
Steven Bradie Miles
2. Adoption of previous minutes
Motion: That the minutes of the previous meeting (Planning Day, 28 May) are accepted as a true and accurate record of that meeting.
Leigh and Greg reported that the minutes as circulated are an incomplete draft for discussion. The meeting suggested additions and alternations to the minutes, incorporated by Greg, which are to be re-circulated for final approval and adoption.
3. Business Arising
Leigh reported a preference that when complete, the minutes of the planning day be posted on the website. The meeting agreed.
4. President’s Report
Leigh reported his work on planning for the 2011 conference.
Leigh has contacted the new Crown venue in Melbourne, who have matched the costs quoted by the previous hotel and have offered sponsorship of $10,000 for the conduct of the welcome reception if it takes place there.
Leigh will be meeting with Catherine Mars on 23 July at the venue for a site inspection.
5. Secretary's Report
Correspondence
Background information on potential keynote speakers has been sent to Mary and the 2010 conference organising committee.
Replies to several queries for information from both researchers and journalists.
Face book site – the President has been linked to the NAGS face book site. Keis invited all committee members with a Face book profile to become a friend of NAGS.
Papers are being received for the 2010 conference.
Membership applications
Mr / Pieter / Remmers / Assissa ConsultancyDr / Peter / Gill / University of Ballarat
Serials, Parliamentary Library
Ms / Linda / Woo / Office of Regulatory Policy
Mr / David / McKarzel / Office of Regulatory Policy
Ms / Maree / Heffernan / Office of Regulatory Policy
Mr / Craig / Nicholas / Office of Regulatory Policy
Ms / Monique / Bielanowski / Office of Regulatory Policy
Mr / Peter / Harris / Mission Australia
Dr / Greg / Coman
Dr / Keis / Ohtsuka / Victoria University
Prof / Susan / Moore / Swinburne University
Ms / Amanda / Lean / Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
Ms / Jenny / Ooi / Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
Ms / Virginia / Baker / Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
Ms / Mary / Marquass / Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
Ms / Mandy / Tervit-Veasey / Tabcorp Holdings Ltd
Mr / David / Robinson / Gambling Help Interlock
Dr / Catherine / Prentice
Ms / Helen / Fowler / Helen Fowler & Associates
Dr / David / Marshall / University of Queensland
Dr / Clive / Allcock
Mr / Andrew / McInnes / Nerang RSL & Memorial Club Inc
Mr / Allen / Windross / Balmoral Consultancy Services
Ms / Judy / Wiersma / Lake Macquarie Financial & Gambling Counselling
Ms / Kate / Greener / Gambling Help Toowoomba
Ms / Mary / McLean / Gambling Help Toowoomba
Ms / Linda / Maurer / Gambling Help Toowoomba
Mr / Alisha / Weston / Gambling Help Toowoomba
Mr / Derek / Tuffield / Gambling Help Toowoomba
Prof / Alexander / Blaszczynski / University of Sydney
Mr / William / Balgowan
Mr / Colin / Farrell
Ms / Sanja / Cosic / Gamblers Help Southern
Ms / Angela / Lutz / Anglicare Tasmania Inc
Prof. / Alun / Jackson / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Prof. / Shane / Thomas / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Dr / Nicki / Dowling / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Dr / Darren / Christensen / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Ms / Kate / Francis / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Ms / Azusa / Umemoto / Prob Gambling Research & Treatment
Mr / Michael / Keenan / Club One
Mr / Andrew / Clarke / Club One
Mr / Dwayne / Jones / Club One
Mr / David / McLeod / Club One
Motion: That the above applications be received as members.
Moved: Greg Coman
Seconded: Keis Ohtsuka
Carried.
6. Treasurer’s Report
Account balances as at 9 July
Cheque $7,770.43
Business Online Saver: $183,153
With a further $5,080 to be added when the above subscriptions are banked.
Recent Transactions:
9.4.10 / 2009 PROCEED POSTAGE / MELBOURNE MAILING / 728 / 749.539.4.10 / TELECONFERENCES / VANTAGE SYSTEMS / 730 / 195.05
12.4.10 / 1300 NAGS / ALLTEL / 29.72
30.4.10 / DATA - RESEARCH AWARD / PENNY JOHNSON / 525.6
30.4.10 / INTERNET MODEM / OPTUS/TELSTRA / 736 / 237.72
3.5.10 / 1300 NAGS / ALLTEL / 12
4.5.10 / TELECONFERENCE / VANTAGE SYSTEMS / 735 / 104.78
13.5.10 / 2009 PROCEED CD PRODUCE / CALVARY COMMUNICATIONS / 727 / 695.2
17.5.10 / 1300 NAGS / ALLTEL / 31.23
17.5.10 / JOURNAL CD PREP / CHARLES DARWIN UNI / 737 / 93
27.5.10 / PLANNING DAY - DWYER / DWYER / 734 / 510.9
31.5.10 / PLANNING DAY - RAMAN / RAMAN / 739 / 561.8
31.5.10 / PLANNING DAY / HEADING / 740 / 206
1.6.10 / MERCHANT FEE / CBA / 12
4.6.10 / JOURNAL PRODUCTION / CHARLES DARWIN UNI / 738 / 2000
4.6.10 / PLAN DAY - HILTON DEPOSIT / COMAN REIMBURSE / 744 / 470.45
11.6.10 / 09 CONF ACCOM - COMAN DELFABBRO / RYDGES HOTEL CBA / 742 / 430
15.6.10 / 1300 NAGS / ALLTEL / 30.98
15.6.10 / PLAN DAY - MARQUASS / MARQUASS / 741 / 284
17.6.10 / PLAN DAY VENUE HIRE CATER / HILTON HOTEL / 743 / 280.5
Bottom of Form
Greg reported that he is making final preparations for the audit for 2009-10, which he anticipates will proceed smoothly as previously. He hopes to provide the meeting with a ballpark estimate of profit or loss for the 09-10 at the next teleconference.
Mary queried membership status for herself, as the Queensland representative employed by a Victorian based company as an organisational NAGS member. The meeting endorsed Mary’s continued position as Queensland Representative as she is a permanent resident and employed in Queensland.
7. State Round Up
State round ups to be sent in written form to Leigh and Greg for inclusion on the website and the minutes respectively.
VIC –
NSW –
QLD –
TAS - Following the Productivity Commission Report into Gambling in Australia the Secretary to Cabinet, Ms Cassy O’Connor, announced $3.5 million in funding this financial year for harm minimisation measures. The strategy will be developed in consultation with government and non-government representatives and will include the Government’s response to the Productivity Commission’s final report into gambling. Major funding areas for 2010-11 will be
· A Tasmanian whole-of-government strategy to set the Government’s clear agenda and position on reform and problem gambling;
· Continued funding for established Gambling Support services with $695,000 in 2010-11 for “Break Even” services to help people affected by gambling, including face to face counselling, financial counselling and online help lines;
· $626,000 for a new major mass media campaign to follow “the mask” campaign, and to extend the “at risk” communities strategy beyond the current four local government areas;
· Funding for research into issues relating to online gambling, community based alternative activities to electronic gambling and the effectiveness of prevention and intervention messages and
· A major grants round with $1.22 million to be made available to charitable organisations for community based activities and projects late this year.
SA –
ACT -
· For Responsible Gambling Awareness Week (RGAW) this year, Lifeline Canberra promoted responsible gambling at both the individual and community level by addressing responsible gambling service delivery and responsible regulation of gambling. We designed a brochure that encapsulated these topics and distributed them to the public at various locations in Canberra.
· Due to the cap of poker machines being reached in the ACT, the Gambling and Racing Commission in conjunction with the ACT government are investigating a machine transfer mechanism that will allow clubs to transfer poker machine licenses.
WA –
NT – Gambling Awareness Week 17 May
Ø Two television advertisements launched starring NAGS member Donna Hunter - the main focus was problems and poker machine gambling.
Ø Delia Lawrence, Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing launched the event.
Ø The Community Benefit Fund received $2.5 million in 2008-09 and funded:
v Grants to 283 community organizations worth more than $700,000;
v $1.1 million to organisations for counselling, rehabilitation and education programs to address the impact of problem gambling on individuals and their families; and,
v $500,000 to Charles Darwin University for research.
§ MoU between Charles Darwin University, Amity community Services and other Indigenous agencies in the Darwin region to collect information on gambling issues for clients attending different agencies.
Ø Web interface data entry centrally stored and managed
Ø Purpose:
v Ongoing monitoring of reported gambling problems for people attending agencies such as the women’s shelter, legal aid, relationship counsellors etc.
v To be used as a research tool generating information that can be used to lobby government on policy reducing harm associated with gambling.
v Evaluation of counselling services
8. Conference 2010
13 people have registered – four are non members.
Committee is working on a sponsorship guideline to attract different sponsorship types.
The call for papers is on the website, with 10 received thus far. Most received so far are from overseas.
Keynote speakers currently being negotiated – favouring some local speakers rather than international.
Discussion about whether to open a specific conference account.
The suggestion of a corporate credit card was suggested.
Motion: That Mary Marquass be authorized to open a NAGS 2010 Conference bank account, with at least three signatories, any two to sign, to be closed on completion of the financial transactions of the conference. NAGS main account to provide seeding funds to the Conference account.
Moved: Greg Coman
Seconded: Leigh Barrett
Carried
9. Journal Report
Paul not on line to report. The journal has been published and will be circulated as soon as the printer receives payment.
10. Website
Bernie has circulated the cost estimates for the website upgrade – with a substantial difference between the two quotes – no explanation for the difference was available.
One was for $2,200 and the other was $2,400 with oncosts for additional pages and ongoing management.
Action: Bernie to post NAGS Member research survey summary on the NAGS website.
11. Other Business
Research promotion requests
John reported that NAGS could have a link to the survey site for the NAGS annual research grant winner – Janet Patford. It is not NAGS responsibility nor role to be recruiting subjects for her project.
Action: Leigh to write to Janet advising that she is to arrange contacts to potential survey participants. Also, that we are happy to place a link to the survey on the NAGS website.
Bernie commented on a potential statement on the NAGS website regarding inviting people to request a link to their survey to be posted on the NAGS website – as a point of interest. We wouldn’t actually post or in any other way distribute the survey or contact members more actively.
Action: Leigh to write to Sally Gainsbury advising her that we have developed a policy and will allow a link for her research to be placed on the NAGS website.
Action: Bernie to write and publish on the NAGS website the invitation for researchers to promote their research on the website.
All requests for links from researchers to be placed on the website are to be approved in advance by the committee. If a person writes to us, requesting that we place a link on our website, we request details of the researcher/investigators, to check their legitimacy and quality.
Leigh reported on the draft new NAGS research grant guidelines. He recommended it be circulated for comment prior to finalization. One of the possibly contentious amendments to the new guidelines is the removal of access for students. The original rules were developed to fund specific, time limited research over which NAGS would have ownership and were not intended to top up student’s research activity costs.
Action: John to circulate the draft new NAGS research grant guidelines for discussion at next meeting. Feedback to John by 23 July.
12. Date of next meeting
To be advised.