Mid-North Coast RSL and Services clubs have welcomed the decision by the Returned and Services League of Australia to oppose the Gillard Government’s $3 billion mandatory pre-commitment proposal.
At the 2011 RSL National Conference, the Presidents of every State and Territory RSL agreed to write to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister Jenny Macklin, expressing their concern.
The letter details the impact mandatory pre-commitment would have on Australia’s 471 RSL clubs and sub-branches, including the 22 RSL clubs across the Mid-North Coast.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, Deputy National President and NSW RSL President Don Rowe OAM wrote that the $3 billion cost of mandatory pre-commitment would lead to the closure of hundreds of RSL and services clubs across Australia, which in turn would see many RSL sub-branches close.
“RSL sub-Branches which depend on the clubs’ backing would also close, placing in jeopardy the support that many veterans require and threatening the continued observance of ANZAC Day and other commemorations in small rural and suburban communities,” he wrote in the letter.
Clubs Australia CEO Anthony Ball said that RSL clubs provide sub-branches and former defence personal with essential support services such as Veterans Welfare Officers, financial and mental health counselling, as well as excursions for RSL sub-branch members and their partners.
John Rafferty, Coffs Harbour Ex-Services Club CEO, said that, over the past decade, clubs have been at the forefront of developing strategies and programs that deal specifically with the issue of destructive gambling.
“This approach has seen the problem gambling rate fall year on year in NSW — from 0.8 per cent of the adult population in 2006 to 0.4 per cent in 2011,” he said.
“We are doing more to reduce the problem gambling rate. For example, in addition to the ClubSAFE program and the range of proven measures which are currently in place, NSW clubs are currently trialling multi venue self-exclusion, a harm minimisation measure aimed at expanding the safety net of services currently offered to gamblers.”
