Nicolette Boele pushes back on St Ives Shopping Village pokies proposal

A controversial plan to redevelop the St Ives Shopping Village made it all the way to Canberra today, with Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele speaking out against the proposal to introduce a 200-plus square metre gaming room to the area.

What happened: Boele claimed in Federal Parliament today that introducing poker machines to a “family-friendly shopping precinct” was “socially irresponsible”.

Boele said more than fifty local residents had contacted her about the plan, some of whom shared personal testimony about the damaging effects of gambling.

What is happening: Renditions and floor plans of the revamped St Ives Shopping Village were released late last year by developer Iris Capital. 

These plans revealed the company's intention to build a new tavern on the site with 200-plus square metres of floor space dedicated to pokies.

Headed by billionaire publican Sam Arnaout, Iris Capital owns pubs, clubs, and casinos across the country, including Manly’s Hotel Steyne, the Cabramatta Hotel, and Parramatta’s General Bourke Hotel.

Federal vs state: Despite the approval of developments of this size falling largely within the jurisdiction of the state government, Boele has previously shown she is willing to weigh in on developments in her electorate, as in the case of the Castlecrag Shopping Village redevelopment. 

“Local residents have made it clear that they support redevelopment — but they support redevelopment with purpose”, Boele said. 

Iris Capital was contacted for comment.