The Flavell Bill and potential impact on NFP funding

Huniyer Hovich, 18 June 2012

As a non-profit organisation you will likely rely on some funding and grants from various sources – government, community trusts, local councils etc.

By now you will have heard some arguments for and against the Flavell Bill – although there appears to be a widely held view in non-profit circles that the bill is problematic.

The aim of the bill is to further reduce the harm caused by gambling, and I’m sure there is no argument against that notion.

So the main issues appear to be with the proposed changes to the management and distribution of grants. This is reflected in a submission I was emailed last week from a colleague in the sporting community. Whether your organisation fits in this sector or not, the points they raised are far-reaching and relevant to the entire non-profit community.  

The National Sports Organisation Leadership Group (NSO) has made their submission as follows:   

1. The NSO has considered the provisions of the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill (the Bill) on a clause by clause basis, and has determined that the clauses most problematic to community, regional, national and international sport in New Zealand are clauses 10, 9 and 6.  

2. Clause 10, in part, phases out existing gaming machine trusts and corporate societies from having a role in gaming machine gambling or in distributing net gambling proceeds, by a date certain to be specified, and requires them to hand over their role to committees of the territorial authority where the venue is located.  

3. Clauses 9 and 6, in part, direct the distribution of net gambling proceeds, by committees of territorial authorities, to the local authority district where the gaming venue is located.  

4. Taken in effect, these clauses enact a change to the mechanism for the funding of sport that could bring sport in New Zealand to a near standstill and will have a profoundly negative impact on the community.  

At risk are significantly reduced funding for things like uniforms and school programs, right through to IT solutions. To find out more download the link 

Submissions close 21 June 2012. 

Image from: http://www.zlien.com/blog/dont-let-californias-mechanic-lien-law-changes-catch-you-off-guard/