Monto and District Citizens Memorial Club has gone into voluntary administration amid financial strife

‘Loss for the community’: A popular Monto community organisation has gone into voluntary administration, citing dwindling membership and rising costs as the cause of their financial strife. FULL REPORT:

The Monto and District Citizens Memorial Club has gone into voluntary administration amid rising prices and dwindling patronage, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit part of the community.

Former Monto RSL president David Watson took to Facebook last week to announce the club had been struggling to stay afloat amid “increased prices in utilities and the slow decline of patronage”.

“Thanks to all the committee past and present who volunteered their time for free to help make it work,” Mr Watson wrote.

Wide Bay and Burnett District president Trevor Williamson said while the Citizens Memorial Club going into voluntary administration was “certainly a loss for the community”, the RSL sub-branch itself is still alive and well.

“It’s been a tough couple of years with Covid for a lot of organisations, but the Monto RSL sub-branch is still there to provide welfare and services to veterans,” Mr Williamson said.

“We are an essential part of the community and our organisation does great work.”

He said the Citizens Memorial Club operated within the local RSL building but was not affiliated with RSL Queensland.

Administrator Michael Beck of Worrells was appointed on June 6, with the first meeting of the creditors of the company due to go ahead at 10.30am on Thursday in Rockhampton.

Attendees will consider whether to appoint a committee of inspection and who the members will be, or decide to remove the administrator from office and appoint someone else.

Proof and proxies for creditors wishing to attend should be submitted to the administrator by 5pm Wednesday, June 15.

The Wide Bay Burnett RSL district encompasses 32 sub-branches and three chapters, which connect and assist veterans and their families.

The Monto RSL sub-branch committee was contacted for further comment, but declined at this stage.