Timaru District Council invites feedback on the draft Gambling Venue Policy.
The policy primarily sets rules for the number of Class 4 (commonly known as pokie) gaming machines and venues, and where they may be located. It also contains our approach to TAB venues within the District. It allows for pokie and TAB settings in the Timaru District to be set with regard to local perspectives.
Council has reviewed its policy and is proposing that it is renewed with amendments. These proposed amendments are to increase the permitted number of pokie machines per venue from seven to nine, and to update zone references to reflect the Proposed District Plan.
Give us your feedback by completing the online submission form here.
Further information
1) The Statement of Proposal outlines the draft policy and our rationale for suggesting it. It also includes an assessment of alternative options.
2) The Social Impact Assessment (SIA) update outlines the social impact of Class 4 and TAB gambling in the Timaru District. It is an update of the 2022 SIA, and focuses on what has changed in the intervening four year period. A link to the 2022 SIA - which was prepared by an independent agency - is contained within the update.
3) Zone changes can be viewed as a dynamic digital map (recommended), or a static comparison map for the four main town centres in the District. Refer to page 5 of the Statement of Proposal for more information about why zones are changing and what this means.
Notes: The maps compare relevant zones under the Operative and Proposed District Plans; they do not display zones that are not referenced in the policy, such as different residential zones. The static maps contain the Operative (current) Plan on the left hand side, and the Proposed (future) Plan on the right hand side. COM1A, COM1B etc are zones in the Operative District Plan. City Centre Zone (CCZ), Town Centre Zone (TCZ), Mixed Use Zone (MUZ) etc are zones in the Proposed District Plan.
4) The Council report for the 31 March 2026 meeting (p 185 - 321), containing contextual information and early feedback that has helped inform the draft policy.
Give us your feedback
Make your submission by either:
- Completing the online submission form here, or
- Completing the submission form on page 17 of the Statement of Proposal, and
- returning it via FreePost
- emailing it to submission@timdc.govt.nz
- dropping it into Customer Services at Council's Main Building or a library/ service centre.
Submissions close at midday, Monday 7 September 2026.
Contact submission@timdc.govt.nz with any questions.
What happens after I make my submission?
All submissions will be presented to Council on 29 September 2026 as part of the scheduled Council meeting. A Hearing will also be held on this date if required.
Council staff will identify key submission points and any requests to change the draft policy, and summarise this in a report for Councillors. Also included will be any instances where staff believe that the draft policy should be changed based on submissions received.
It is intended that Councillors will consider the submissions and proposed final policy, make amendments as they deem necessary, and approve the policy at the Council meeting on 27 October 2026.
Privacy Statement
Submissions and the information that they contain will be used and managed as follows
All submissions are public information and will be included on Council’s website and/or in public documents located at Council offices and Libraries/Service Centres. This will include your name and, if applicable, the organisation you represent.
The contact information (phone number and/or email address and/or postal address) that you provide at the beginning of the submission will be accessible to Council staff and used only for submission administration purposes. It will not be made publicly available. However, the content of the remainder of your submission (including any private information and attachments that you provide) may not be redacted. Please contact us via submission@timdc.govt.nz if you have any questions about this, before making your submission.
All information is held by Council in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. You have the right to access and correct personal information. Nothing in this Privacy Statement overrides, or will prevent Council meeting its obligations under, the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, or any other relevant legislation.
Last updated: 03 Aug 2026