Editorial: Better model needed for community grants

To say that reducing pokie machines in Whanganui would hinder kids getting into sport or that ratepayers would be hit up to fill a funding gap is uncomfortable at best.

But it was one argument the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) put forward against the Whanganui District Council's sinking lid policy on gaming-machine venues.

The proposed policy is to not replace gaming venues when they close with the aim of reducing the number of machines - and eventually the problem-gambling harm associated with them - over time.

NZCT operates gaming machines in Whanganui and returns some of the millions poured into them in the form of community grants.

In the past year nearly $1million came back to help grassroots organisations including Netball Wanganui, Whanganui Events Trust and Hospice Whanganui - all worthy causes and ones that desperately need and deserve the money.

But it is fact that gaming machines can cause serious harm to some people.

So it is also fact that these grants are only possible (even in some part) because of that harm.

Whanganui organisations get much-needed grant money but many more dollars leave the pockets of gamblers.

Many are those who least can afford it.

We can either hold our nose and accept that or we can come up with a smarter model for community funding.

If income from pokies is falling - and NZCT really cares about the community organisations it helps fund - maybe it could lead the charge in finding innovative ways to raise cash for the grants it distributes.

Meanwhile, NZCT had other arguments around it being better to have people gambling in controlled gaming venues rather than using increasingly accessible and unregulated online gambling sites.

That is legitimate.

But using the threat of funding drying up for kids' sport or other community activity if a policy aimed at reducing gambling harm continues is not.