My name is Rob Firth. I am the president of the Howick Club.Remember we are not a pub, we are not a sleazy corner gaming venue, we are the topfamily club in Auckland and one of the top clubs in NZ.

The Howick Club was formed in 1979; the Club buildings were then opened to members in1985 with a membership of approximately 825. Twenty−seven years on, our financialmembership is 4200 and is continually rising at a steady rate.

The key to the Club's success is the past and present committee's focus on family andcommunity atmosphere. We provide, function rooms, restaurant and our boardroom toRotary, Kiwians and local schools for meetings, functions and prize giving all free of charge.

The Breast Cancer Unit uses our car park and toilet facility for 5−6 weeks ata time. TheHowick Coastguard have parking for their educational caravan, 52 weeks of the year. Wehave raised a lot of money for charities through fashion shows, wine festivals; Class4gaming and the fishing section competitions.

The Howick Club has the biggest free Guy Fawkes display in Auckland with between 8000and 10000 people attending every year. Kids Christmas parties, Club Picnic, Farm Day, BigBoys Toys and regular kid's discos are virtually free for the thousands who have attendedthese community events.

Clubs are run for the benefit of their members and the wider community. I reiterate that weare not like a pub or worse a comer bar, blatantly advertise pokies, jackpots etc in brightlights outside their premises. We are a top family club.

It is a known fact that millions of dollars of tax and community money has 'evaporated'through fraud involving gaming funds through trusts and large administration salaries. OurExecutive Committee are not paid.

The Howick Club adheres to all the regulations when applying Class 4 gaming funds.Whether this is to upgrade the Club facilities, send away sports teams or donations toschools, kindergartens and the local community that meet the criteria for Class 4 gamingfunds.

Our Club provides staff trained in harm minimisation, host responsibility and health andsafety. The Club provides a strict R18 sports bar where gaming, TAB and indoor sports areavailable. This is partly because of our licence and because our Executive Committeebelieves it is the wrong environment for young ones to be in.

l believe 80% of the net proceeds of Class 4 gaming as proposed in this Bill will not reachthe local community by the time administration costs are taken into account.

All community based clubs and RSAs are charitable organisations where 100% of the fundsgo back into the community. Even if a club ceases to trade, all funds, after debt, would begiven to charity.

During a recent visit to the Howick Club from the CEO of Clubs NSW and seven generalmanagers of the NSW Clubs, I was asked why there were so many members and theirfriends at the Club when only half the gaming machines were in use. I told them ourmembers and their friends were there for the sports, socialising, camaraderie and securitythat the Club offers.

The Howick Club asks that you take into consideration the benefits that clubs are providingto their communities through the application of class 4 gaming authorised purposes.

Clubs allow our members to safely enjoy themselves on the pokies and at the same timeprovide measurable returns to our local community.

We hope this will not be compromised when the Commerce Committee and MPs decide onthe direction it takes in the future in regards to the progress of the Gambling (Gambling HarmReduction) Amendment Bill.

Remember we are nota pub, we are nota pokie bar, we are a top family club.