RSL’s could be charged thousands of dollars for ANZAC Day events

ANZAC Day diggers have won a major victory over a bureaucratic cash grab after a government department backed down on a threat to slug thousands of dollars to march on Sydney’s streets.

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ANZAC Day diggers have won a major victory over a bureaucratic cash grab after a government department backed down on a threat to slug thousands of dollars to march on Sydney’s streets.

Councils had been told that veterans would be charged fees of almost $5000 for the April 25 events under special “traffic management plans”.

The NSW Transport’s Traffic Management Centre had informed Bayside Council that: “These costs are usually borne by the event organiser (which is the Mascot RSL sub branch) on a full, partial or no exemption basis with a minimum cost recuperation from TMC of $2,200 including GST on a full exemption basis.

Mascot RSL during its 2018 annual ANZAC march.

Mascot RSL sub-branch member Bill Sylvia, 93, during the 2018 march.

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“To note the no exemption cost for the installation and management of the SEC’s for this event is $4,650.48 including GST.”

After the fee was queried by an “outraged” Bayside Mayor Bill Saravinovski, the TMC said it would absorb the Mascot cost this year because of late notice.

In the Sutherland Shire, diggers and volunteers in multiple RSL subbranches were in uproar after being told they would have to pay for “traffic management plans” for their dawn services on April 25 — potentially costing up to $4000.

Meetings were held on Tuesday between the veterans, police and council over the issue, with some organisers saying they were considering cancelling events.

“The veterans are really stressed about it, they can’t understand it — we’ve never had to pay and there’s certainly no traffic at 5am,” one of the Sutherland Shire sub-branch secretaries said.

“We’re all up in arms about it, it’s absolutely ludicrous what the council is getting us to do — they want us to hire an external company to run a traffic management plan. It’s on the cards to cancel if it goes ahead.”

Heffron MP Ron Hoenig with ANZAC veterans at Mascot last year.

A Sutherland Shire spokeswoman said Mayor Carmelo Pesce had sought the assistance of local MPs including Mark Speakman, Eleni Petinos and Lee Evans who “provided funding to develop the necessary plans”.

“As part of regularly reviewing and assessing risk in public places, the NSW Police Force has re-categorised some larger ANZAC Day events in Sutherland Shire, resulting in the need for RSL sub-branches to develop Traffic Control and Traffic Management Plans to mitigate risk and ensure safety at these events,” the spokeswoman said.

Mayor Pesce said once he was informed about the requirement for “additional requirements” for 2019, including developing traffic control and management plans, he approached the local MPs for funding.

“Council worked with external contractors to negotiate the lowest possible price for the cost of developing these new plans, with the amount for each branch averaging $700, not the thousands incorrectly reported.”

Transport for NSW on Monday night said event organisers usually covered the cost of Anzac Day marches requiring “special event clearways and road closures”.

“The cost of putting special events clearways and road closures includes TMC and Police staff on the ground, portable electronic signs, hiring barriers, contracting tow trucks and installing signs and varies based on the event size and impacts,” a spokesman said.

But on Tuesday morning Transport for NSW Coordinator General Marg Prendergast backed down and said the department has never charged the RSL for traffic management “and never will”.

Ms Prendergast said there had been a misunderstanding with the RSL because they were also looking at “alternate options for implementing a special event clearway to manage parking on the road where the march occurs.”

Transport Minister Andrew Constance also said he wanted to make it “crystal clear” the state government would “never” charge RSLs.

“What has happened here is obviously some advice from Transport Management Centre overrode arrangements for the Mascot RSL. That’s where this stems from but let me be crystal clear - Transport for NSW will never, ever charge an RSL.”

Mascot RSL sub-branch secretary Carolyn McMahon said she was told that the Transport authorities were going to charge her $5000, before they backed down.

“When the council rang to say the transport authorities want to charge us almost $5000 this year I was so upset. I couldn’t believe it. How can you do that to the vets? To go a couple of blocks?”

Heffron Labor MP Ron Hoenig said the government was shaking down veterans for cash. “It’s just madness.”

After the fee was queried by an “outraged” mayor Bill Saravinovski, the TMC said it would absorb the Mascot cost because of the late notice.

Editor’s note:

The original version of this article did not include comments from Sutherland Shire Council clarifying that it had successfully sought grants from the State Government on behalf of RSL Clubs to cover Anzac Day traffic management plan cost. This was omitted through a production error.

Originally published as RSL’s could be charged thousands of dollars for ANZAC Day events