The Gold Coast Bulletin

Rebels group fires up at RSL

- RYAN KEEN ryan.keen@news.com.au

DISGRUNTLE­D members of the Nerang RSL have called for a showdown with club bosses and the board to question major recent financial decisions.

The rebel group has had a request for a special general meeting granted for August 22.

The group’s request to Nerang RSL principal executive officer Andrew McInnes states: “The Special General Meeting is to be called to question the board and senior staff and their ability to run the Nerang RSL and Memorial Club and the ancillary business activities and assets to provide benefits to all members of the associatio­n in a profession­al and businessli­ke manner.”

The request raises five questions it wants answers to:

● Why the Advancetow­n Hotel was sold.

● Why the Advancetow­n Hotel had been running at a loss.

● Why the Canungra RSL, which is being run by the Nerang RSL, incurred a $170,000 loss for its most recent year of trade, as confirmed in the 2016 Annual Report.

● An explanatio­n of the process for tendering services such as catering, beverage, trade service, cleaning, gardening, outside and inside maintenanc­e.

● What qualificat­ions the board and senior management have to justify a planned $20 million expansion.

Mr McInnes told the Bulletin his board looked forward to answering the questions at the meeting.

“Nerang RSL and Memorial Club prides itself on its long-

serving history within the local community and openly communicat­es all aspects of its operations to its 40,000-plus members,” he said.

“All major decisions are made collective­ly by the board, many of whom boast over 30 years experience in the industry.

“The Board welcomes the meeting on August 22 where it will address the questions that have been raised.”

Last week, the Bulletin revealed the sale of the Advancetow­n Hotel for about $2.1 million.

The club’s annual report for 2016 revealed a historic 2008 valuation of the hotel of $3.5m.

In July 2016 the club revealed a $25m makeover plan including a 48-room upmarket hotel.

At the time, Mr McInnes said the club had outgrown facilities, such as the cafe and pizza bar, that were part of a $7.5m upgrade in 2014.

Plans lodged with the Gold Coast City Council included 48 hotel suites over two levels to the south of the club.

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