ANZAC services assured amid RSL SA’s financial woes
RSL National President Robert Dick has assured South Australians ANZAC services are not at risk, despite RSL South Australia’s state branch of the Returned and Services League been placed into administration last week.
ANZAC Day commemorative activities will continue in SA despite the State’s RSL financial woes (Photo: Annie Waddington-Feather))
“I want to reassure all the members in South Australia that there will be no impact to ANZAC Day,” he says. “The ANZAC Day Appeal and commemorative activities will continue in SA as planned with the support of the sub branches and RSL Victoria.”
The RSL SA is the peak body for the RSL sub branches in South Australia, Northern Territory and Broken Hill. Earlier this year, the National Board commissioned a financial review to determine the current position of the SA State branch and to ascertain its overall sustainability.
The decision to put the SA State branch into Voluntary Administration to enable the operation to undergo a rigorous transformation was unanimously supported by the State President Tim Hanna and the SA state board yesterday afternoon.
RSL National also conducted an internal review of the SA operation as part of the RSL’s change task force. The internal review was supported by the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission (ACNC).
ACNC Assistant Commissioner David Locke says the ACNC is actively involved and will continue to work with all parties to ensure that charitable assets and beneficiaries are protected.
Mr Dick says the RSL Board is determined to identify those areas where we are not fully compliant with the ACNC and improve our business processes.
“The South Australian RSL State branch will undergo a complete restructure to ensure we can continue to support our members, veterans in the community and the SA sub-branches and maintain our support in line with our objectives,” he says.
Legal firm Rodgers Reidy has been appointed to conduct the administration process and assist RSL SA and RSL National to restructure the operation.
The staff will remain in the organisation until a creditors meeting is held to determine the future of the organisation.
