Corporate Governance
Governance Standards
RSL NSW is committed to strong and ethical governance in accordance with the ACNC’s Governance Standards.
The RSL NSW Board
The strategy, performance, corporate governance and risk appetite of RSL NSW are the responsibility, and are managed under the direction of, the Board of Directors of RSL NSW.
The Board comprises a maximum of ten non-executive Directors of which at least one but not more than two must be Independent Directors appointed by the Board (Independent Directors) and the remainder of which are to be elected by Service Members in accordance with the RSL NSW Constitution (Elected Directors).
Governance and Accountability Review
The current Board of RSL NSW has undertaken a detailed review as regards the duties, obligations, and role of the RSL NSW Board and its members. This review included advice provided by Clayton Utz lawyers.
The advice confirmed the risk to the RSL NSW Board of being held accountable for actions of sub-Branches – including breaches of the RSL NSW Constitution. It highlighted the Board’s obligations to monitor and investigate sub-Branches and also to take steps remedy sub-Branch breaches of their legal obligations.
The advice will be used by RSL NSW to continue to improve governance at Anzac House and across the League. It will provide the foundations of RSL NSW’s assurance and compliance program. This program is currently under development and will assist all sub-Branches to meet their obligations as registered charities holding charters under the RSL NSW Constitution.
RSL NSW Act
The RSL NSW Act 2018 is an act of the Parliament of New South Wales under which RSL NSW is constituted as a statutory corporation. The Act is the foundational governing legislation of RSL NSW that sets out the legal framework to which the RSL NSW Constitution gives operational effect.
RSL NSW also operates in an environment governed by the following legislation:
- ACNC Act 2013 (Commonwealth)
- Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
- Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Commonwealth)
RSL NSW Constitution
RSL NSW’s governing document is the RSL NSW constitution, which is supported by a suite of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The Constitution operates in conjunction with the RSL NSW Act. The constitution sets out the governance framework within which the RSL NSW operates. The Constitution was amended at the 2023 AGM.