Noosa Chamber of Commerce Rob Neely launches action against members seeking to remove him from top role

Embattled Noosa Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Rob Neely has refused to leave his position despite the committee moving to strip him off his membership.

Rob Neely is taking action against Noosa Chamber of Commerce members after a vote to remove him.

Rob Neely who was elected as Noosa Chamber president in 2020 is fighting a decision to have him removed from the top role.

Eight committee members voted to replace Mr Neely in the top job with vice-president Ralph Rogers.

Mr Neely has served the eight members with a concerns notice claiming they had made defamatory comments about him and giving them 28 days to make an acceptable offer of amends.

Queensland Crown Law describes a concerns notice as “similar to a letter of demand” requesting a publisher to take certain action in order to avoid legal proceedings.

The move was triggered by a mass email out to chamber members explaining why the committee moved to replace Mr Neely.

“Mr Robert Neely’s conduct was considered by the NCCI management committee to be injurious and prejudicial to the character and interests of the Noosa Chamber,” the email said.

Mr Neely alleges the email falsely claimed he worked against the chamber’s interest, was dishonest, behaved corruptly and that he was not wanted by any of its members.

Noosa businessman Ralph Rogers.

Mr Neely said what he hoped would be the “best chamber committee yet” when it was elected in September 2020 “turned into six months of bitter infighting”.

“You can’t get rid of the president without taking it to a special general meeting and they haven’t worried anything about that,” Mr Neely said.

“I’m not moving.”

Mr Rogers said legal proceedings were in place and declined to comment.

“There are legal proceedings in play as we take all allegations seriously, but it would be untimely to make any other comment,” he said in a statement.

The chamber has 12 members.

Former chamber president Janet Kake who suddenly resigned as vice-president in late 2020 said the alleged presidential toppling was a “coup” carried out in breach of the organisation’s constitution.

However the remaining committee office holders in the mail out told members Mr Neely was given a fair hearing before his membership was cancelled.

Mr Neely said a group of concerned ordinary members had called a special chamber general meeting to be held at Sunshine Beach on June 29.

The committee members in the email said Mr Neely no longer had the authority to convene such a meeting.

On Tuesday, Mr Neely sent an email to all chamber members to discuss the Ms Kake’s “startling resignation”.

He claimed Ms Kake and another female chamber member were bullied.

Fair Work Commission last week ruled it had no jurisdiction in this matter as the chamber was made up of volunteers and had no paid workers.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland chief executive Stephen Tait said he was aware of the matter but had no authority over any chamber of commerce groups and declined to comment.