Rangers increase patrols of White Gum Park to crack down on illegal gambling

Shire rangers have increased patrols of White Gum Park in Kununurra to break up illegal gambling and drinking as 92 per cent of all East Kimberley welfare recipients have opted out of the Cashless Debit Card. Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley chief executive Vernon Lawrence said the patrols had been stepped up after complaints from business owners about littering and anti-social behaviour in the park. He said the annual problem appeared to be worse this wet season but it was unclear how much of that could be attributed to the scrapping of the compulsory Cashless Debit Card. Since October 3 last year, participants in the CDC have been allowed to remove themselves from the scheme which quarantines up to 80 per cent of the payment so it can’t be used on alcohol, gambling or to withdraw cash. The scheme is run in six areas in Australia including the East Kimberley which has seen 1105 people take themselves off the program in the past four months. “We can’t attribute it to the CDC but with the CDC gone there is now access to funds for alcohol. It is a contributing factor to the whole thing,” Mr Lawrence said. Gambling is illegal on Shire land and there is a State law against public drinking. “It’s not the gambling itself that is the problem, it is everything that goes on with it,” Mr Lawrence said. “The drinking, children being neglected, anti-social behaviour, litter, the gambling is the focal point of all this. “The rangers are stepping up the number of patrols and they are actively going and breaking up the games. It is tricky and confrontational for them but they have good support from police as well when they are driving past they are stopping and breaking up the games.” Mr Lawrence said the rangers did not hand out infringement notices. “It never gets paid it just goes down to the Fines Enforcement Registry and accumulates there. We would be throwing time and resources at something that doesn’t produce anything.” “If we keep our foot on the pedal, keep the pressure up, slowly the message will get around that gambling shouldn’t be happening.” Mr Lawrence said people had come in from Warmun, Balgo, Kalumburu and even as far away as Wadeye, in the Northern Territory. “People are sleeping rough, they don’t have a house to go to so they tend to congregate around White Gum Park during the day. There is always gambling and public drinking.”