The Spotswood Kingsville RSL (SKRSL) of inner west Melbourne, have been in lease negotiations with Hobsons Bay City Council (HBCC) since Oct 1st 2021, the day after our Lease expired. 

HBCC Open Space Strategy expires in 2018 - 2028 noted that the focus on the "Mary Street Reserve to improve passive recreation opportunities and implement priority improvements, that incorporate: » An assessment of all public space within the precinct including the Spotswood RSL and Veterans
Reserve » An investigation about the potential to collaborate
with Spotswood RSL to develop improved activation
and integration with the nearby parks."

To date, we have had no collaboration as a key stakeholder, instead we were provided with a new lease that reduced our land taking away the car park and enclosed bowling green and increased our rent to market rate and short leases.

This has meant that we have not been able to use many of the grants awarded to us including a large grant from the West Gate Tunnel and smaller grants from HBCC.  

Despite this we have resumed, and increased, veteran and community events where possible. 

There are 2,343 Veterans (ABS Statistics) within in the Gellibrand community and the current lease status and the pending Community Engagement on the Master Plan will reduce our capacity to be a safe space for Veterans to retintegrate into their communities and reconnect with their families with like minded people. It will reduce the ability of Veteran Support Groups to have contact with those living in the inner west. 

It will further reduce the accessible and welcoming space for community to use. This includes recent weddings and receptions, christenings, naming days, Car Club, Dog Days and dog training, school fundraisers, disability and aged care programs and much more. We prioritise a budget friendly, family venue, especially in these tough economic times and during pandemic recovery and have been hosting functions every week since reopening after Covid. 

We are a family focused Sub branch acknowledging the the demographics of Veterans across Gellibrand and the need for Spotswood and Kingsville to have a safe welcoming space. 

We have recently committed to the Welcome Here project providing a safe space for all members of the LGBQTIA+ community and have plans to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which the sits.  

We are asking Hobsons Bay City Council to acknowledge the important history of the Spotswood Kingsville RSL in community. The Schutt family Estate on which we sit, was gifted to the War Commission because of their family service connection.  Past Council bought the land back from the State and gave it to SKRSL in trust to establish the RSL at the current site.

We ask HBCC to allow SKRSL to keep our enclosed bowling green and car parks, in order to continue to support Veteran mental health, well being and community participation. This is especially important given the current Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide. We ask to be able to provide an accessible, affordable and welcoming space for our community.