By Ian Peek
Late last year, RSL Victoria took the rare step of suspending a local Sub-Branch Charter, meaning that the Sub-Branch has been temporarily stripped of its official status and cannot operate under the RSL name or brand during the suspension period. This is a serious action and typically occurs due to significant governance or compliance failures.
In fact, it is such a rare event that only two Charters have ever been suspended in the entire 109 history of the Victorian Branch; the first being that of the Kew Sub-Branch in July of last year, and the second being that of the Newport Sub-Branch in October of last year. In the case of the Kew suspension, the reasons cited by RSL Victoria were a failure to meet charitable objectives, lack of a duly elected Committee, and non-compliance with RSL rules and regulatory obligations. For Newport, the reason cited was ongoing governance concerns, including lack of transparency and issues related to building works and financial accountability.
As a former soldier and Returned Serviceman myself, I am proud to be associated with the group of veterans and other members of the Newport Sub-Branch who have invested considerable personal time and effort over nearly two years to investigate and remediate the many problems inflicting the Sub-Branch, including why the Market St premises remains derelict and uninhabitable after being closed to Veterans, their families, and the rest of the community since June 2023. Sadly, these efforts have been hindered by a Sub-Branch Committee that has been operating in various states of dysfunction for several years. Even after RSL Victoria’s intervention at our request in December 2024, we could not get the essential disclosure and cooperation that would have prevented RSL Victoria’s difficult but necessary decision to suspend the Sub-Branch Charter in October.
This unhappy story descended into a farcical and shameful spectacle, also in October last year, where a small number of former Committee members and others, using the pretext of a public Newport RSL Sub-Branch Inc. meeting, attempted to shift responsibility for the descent of the 80 year-old community institution into its current dire predicament. This involved self-serving theatrics, including vulgar and disingenuous attacks on the integrity and character of RSL Victoria as well as the veterans and others who have and will continue to advocate for much needed reform. These slurs against the RSL and loyal veterans were all the more shameful as the 11 November 2025 Remembrance Day approached, and remain so in the wake of the 25 April 2026 ANZAC Day commemorations.
Fortunately, however, there is hope. The suspension of the Charter creates the opportunity for us and the rest of the community to work with RSL Victoria to rebuild a stronger and more effective Veterans and families support network in the local area. Ideally, this will include a reconstituted Newport Sub-Branch if that is still possible.
In the meantime, my Veteran colleagues and I are working with RSL Victoria to get an accurate understanding of the true state of Newport Sub-Branch affairs. This will take some time and a lot of effort, however we believe that time and effort will ultimately be worth the investment. We look forward to your support as we work through the next chapter of this iconic community institution.
