Narrabeen RSL: Club closes after taking Covid financial hits
It was a popular live music venue and community hub, but a Sydney RSL has decided to close its doors because it’s losing the financial battle with Covid.
Manly
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A Sydney RSL club fears it will have to shut permanently because its turnover has been smashed by the Covid pandemic.
Narrabeen RSL says it is closing down “temporarily” until the end of February, from this Sunday, because there are not enough patrons coming through its doors.
But in a message to members the club’s board of directors says it now faces an “uncertain future”.
And its general manager Tracey Mihjalovic said on Friday the NSW Government’s ongoing restrictions on singing and dancing in clubs could also spell the end for the venue — known to locals as “The Razza” — which had become a popular live music and community hub.
Ms Mihjalovic said the club was not entitled to any substantial government financial help.
The club has close 3,500 members.
Its “Sunk” cocktail was voted best bar on the Northern Beaches last year by Manly Daily readers, but the club has been struggling through the hospitality industry lockdowns. It was operating on restricted hours and only opens between Thursday and Sunday, from 3pm to 7pm.
As the result of the Omicron wave, the club has had to regularly cancel live music events, including a gig by hit rock band You Am I last month. The club’s restaurant has also had to close on occasion due to staff shortages caused by Covid.
Club management also had a ban on unvaccinated members and guests until January 31.
In its message the Board of Directors stated that it was a difficult decision to “temporarily close The Razza from Sunday February 6th”.
“While we hope this isn’t farewell, we face an uncertain future. An ongoing pandemic, restrictions on singing and dancing, minimal government support as well as difficult landlord and rent negotiations.”
The landlord is the Narrabeen RSL sub-branch, a branch of RSL NSW, the returned war veterans’ charity.
Ms Mihjalovic said the club management would be working, when the club is closed, to “find a way to keep this place going”.
“But the daily running costs are too high at the moment with not enough people coming in through the doors.
“We had music events booked that would see use through for a few months but singing in clubs and pubs were stopped by the government.
“For the next three weeks we’ll be working behind the scenes to find a way to secure some funding and some level of support so we can keep going.
“There’s very little money coming over the bar. We’re having to pay staff to stand around.”
Ms Mihjalovic said the club was not currently eligible for any Covid-related NSW Government grants or rebates.
“Narrabeen RSL has tried so hard not to be a gaming venue. We really tried to move away from that and be supportive of live must and arts, but there is just no funding there.
“I’m not too proud to start making phone calls and ask for help.
“We’ve got a lot of community clubs that are run out of here and they’ve all offered to help, but it’s not going to be a $50 donation that can help us at this stage.”
RSL NSW said the club’s landlord, Narrabeen RSL sub-Branch, had met its obligation to the Narrabeen RSL Club under the NSW Government’s Retail and Other Commercial Leases Regulation (COVID-19) 2021.
“As a charity, RSL NSW has a duty of care to ensure that optimal income is achieved from its assets so that it can continue to support and provide services to veterans and current serving members of the Australian Defence Force, and their families,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“In NSW, RSL sub-Branches and clubs are separate entities. RSL NSW does not benefit from the proceeds of the sale of alcohol or gambling.”
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