The scathing section deleted from prestigious Noosa Surf Club’s annual report

The prestigious Noosa Surf Life Saving Club which has been rocked by resignations and toxic culture claims has deleted a section of its annual report ahead of a crucial meeting.

Noosa Surf Life Saving Club has been rocked by fresh strife.

A troubled Queensland surf club has deleted a scathing section of its annual report ahead of a crucial meeting to elect a new board.

Prestigious Noosa Surf Life Saving Club has been rocked by strife including the resignations of senior officials, departures of a raft of key staff and star athletes and an investigation by a former top cop into allegations of a toxic culture.

The long-running turmoil led to Surf Life Saving Queensland appointing a “special manager” to run the club until its annual general meeting, being held this weekend, where a new management committee will be elected.

A damning assessment of the goings-on at the club, by its administration director Barry Leek, was included as part of an annual report sent to members earlier this month.

But Mr Leek’s missive was removed in an amended report which was sent out later.

In his report, he slammed what he described as “disgraceful and disrespectful behaviour by a small number of members” at last year’s AGM which he said “was the beginning of a downward spiral that is still going on”.

He said former general manager Byron Mills and office administrator Tanya Duncan, along with other staff, had been denigrated in a way which was “unconscionable, unnecessary and totally wrong”.

Mr Leek said both Mr Mills and Ms Duncan had since resigned, along with other key staff and officials including surf sports manager Craig Law.

Following an independent investigation into the surf club by retired police assistant commissioner Andy Henderson, long-serving president Ross Fisher and deputy president Melissa Pinchbeck both resigned.

Former Noosa Surf Life Saving Club president Ross Fisher in 2012. Picture: File

Mr Fisher, who cited health reasons for stepping down, later defended the club’s culture, saying it was “certainly not toxic”.

“We wouldn’t be where we are or have achieved what we’ve achieved if it were toxic,” he told local newspaper Noosa Today.

“Overall, the club is in a pretty healthy position. There are certainly people who will have emotional gripes, but we’re a bloody big club and the bigger the club is, the more chance this happens.

“It’s a lot to manage and we’re all volunteers.”

Ms Pinchbeck has declined to comment. SLSQ boss Dave Whimpey last month wrote to her warning her she could be suspended if she tried to renominate for the board at Sunday’s AGM.

Surf club agitators sent out an email on Friday urging members to attend the meeting and vote for three specified candidates for key board positions “if you want change (at) a club you can be proud of, and not one that the whole state reads about in The Courier-Mail as a basket case”.

“It’s time to move the club on to a place members want to be at and feel free to speak,” the email read.

“The choice is clear, recycle the old and the status quo will remain, new blood and we have a chance to change.”

Originally published as The scathing section deleted from prestigious Noosa Surf Club’s annual report