Corporate Governance
Governance Standards
RSL NSW is committed to strong and ethical governance in accordance with the ACNC 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 RSL NSW Board of Directors.
The Board comprises a maximum of 10 non-executive Directors of which at least one but no 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 Board has undertaken a detailed review into the duties, obligations of the Board and its members. This review included advice provided by Clayton Utz lawyers.
The advice confirmed the risk to the 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 to remedy sub-Branch breaches of their legal obligations.
Read the RSL NSW Board Governance Advice summary.
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 the assurance and compliance program of RSL NSW. 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
The governing document of RSL NSW 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, and was last amended at the 2024 AGM.
Read the RSL NSW Constitution.