Sandgate RSL Sub Branch receives offer for former memorial club

Sandgate RSL Sub Branch has received an offer for the adjacent memorial club which was forced to close its doors earlier this year.

Sandgate RSL Sub Branch life member Norm Murdoch and president Peter McNamara outside Club Sandgate, which closed in January. Picture: Michelle Smith

A HOTEL group has expressed an interest in buying or leasing the former RSL Memorial Club in Sandgate.

The club, which traded as Club Sandgate, closed on January 9 following a creditor’s meeting where it was revealed it owed more than $1 million, most to the Australian Taxation Office.

The adjacent Sandgate RSL Sub Branch owns both the building and the land on which it sits.

Sub Branch president Peter McNamara said they had received a conditional offer from a hotel group.

Sandgate RSL Memorial Club closed its doors on January 9 after 50 years. Picture: Jacqueline Henry.

“They have 60 days and are looking very closely at the building and the options they’ll be able to bring to the sub branch, whether to buy or lease the building,” Mr McNamara said.

“Hopefully we will get a good outcome for us and the community.

“Should a sale go ahead then there will be employment opportunities for local people to get into that area of hospitality.

“For us it’ll be a result of reshaping our strategy so we still exist for 100 years or more.”

Mr McNamara said they hoped to have a decision by early February next year.

The memorial club struggled financially between 2012 and 2015 before being put into administration. Despite new management and a new committee the club was unable to trade its way out of debt.

The interior of Sandgate RSL in 2016. Picture: Michelle Smith

The club’s rental payments are the only source of income for the sub branch. At the moment UBET is still operating in the building and pays a nominal rent.

“During the last couple of years we’ve done it tough,” Mr McNamara said.

“Rental from the club had allowed us to build up our bank balance.

“We built our new sub branch building only four years ago and then the club closed. We gave Club Sandgate about a $500,000 rental rebate.”

Mr McNamara said rental income from the building funded the sub branch’s charitable objectives.

“Our constitution provides for us to spend 10 per cent of our gross income per year on donations to the community and schools. We’ve always done that except for the last few years.

“We haven’t been able to make donations to the schools in the area; the donations helped further knowledge of what RSL does and ranged from $500 to $1000 each.

The exterior of Club Sandgate, with the 40mm Bofors Anti Aircraft Gun on the left. Picture: Michelle Smith.

“We also used to support local school bands with the purchase of instruments and donated to TS Paluma Navy Cadets at Shorncliffe, RAAF 212 Squadron at Redcliffe and army cadet units at St Paul’s School in Bald Hills and St Patrick’s College in Shorncliffe.

“We do welfare activities on top of that for veterans. Since 2008, when I joined the sub branch, the amount of welfare work we do has grown three times.

“We also help with a lot of war widow pensions and organise between 40-50 funeral services a year.”

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The sub branch is run by volunteers except for one paid part-time administration assistant.

Sandgate RSL Sub Branch also owns the 40mm Bofors Anti Aircraft Gun which sits outside the Club Sandgate building.

Mr McNamara said Fort Lytton had expressed an interest in maintaining the gun on the sub branch’s behalf.