Southport RSL calls emergency meeting to resolve bitter dispute

A Gold Coast RSL club has called an emergency meeting in a bid to help resolve a bitter civil war.

The Southport RSL. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

A STRIFE-torn Gold Coast RSL club has called an emergency meeting in a bid to help resolve a bitter civil war.

The Southport RSL has been in turmoil with a dispute between the sub-branch which owns the Scarborough St premises and the memorial club which runs it.

The cash-strapped sub-branch last month revealed plans to sell off the 81-year-old club and relocate its offices, saying it could no longer afford the mortgage on the property.

The memorial club, which has 12,000 members and runs the bars, restaurants and gaming, submitted an offer to buy the club but no deal has been done.

Last week, it was announced the memorial club had been given a new five-year lease on the building, securing its future.

But in an email to members on Thursday, the club announced a “special general meeting” had been called for November 17 to amend the constitution so sub-branch board members are barred from sitting on the memorial club board.

The email said conflict of interests issue had arisen.

“The issue reached a significant crisis when the Club and the Sub Branch came into conflict over capital costs versus maintenance costs for one of the lifts, for an amount of $80,000,” the email said.

“The Sub Branch instituted legal action against the Memorial Club in the Southport Magistrates Court.”

“As a stand-alone, not for profit business, the memorial club should have the right to make, and put into effect, appropriate and relevant decisions at a board level without the hindrance and legal complication of the landlord,” the club said.

Originally published as Southport RSL calls emergency meeting to resolve bitter dispute