Tonight (Thursday, 11 December 2025) saw the Forestville RSL development approved by 226 members, who voted to give the Board and management decision-making powers regarding the senior housing and smaller club development.
Only 91 members in attendance voted against the resolution.
For the past three years, Forestville RSL members have called on management to hold a vote to determine whether a proposed development of a new smaller club (to be constructed on the current bowling greens) and senior housing is what members actually wanted.
Instead, management submitted a development application to Northern Beaches Council in 2024 (DA2024/1303) for the construction of a new registered club and seniors housing with 52 independent living units (originally it was 55 units but through the approval process it was reduced to 52). There was notable opposition to the proposal, with 60 of the 62 submissions against the development and a petition (with over 1,300 signatures) started by members. However, the development was approved by the Sydney North Planning Panel in August this year.
Members were notified on 18 November 2025 of a Special General Meeting where members would vote on whether to redefine the property as “non-core”, essentially giving the Board and management authority to proceed with the development and manage it and various contractors without regular member sign-off.
A member in attendance at tonight’s meeting said members were able to speak for or against the resolution for five minutes at a time, and after almost an hour of “quite respectful to-and-fro”, the resolution went to vote where it was passed.
The second resolution, to reissue the property as “core property” once construction was complete was passed on a show of hands.
In addition, as per the agenda, the projected development cost has increased to $108 million (up from the original $79 million as described in the DA).
From our earlier coverage:
“The temporary reclassification of the club land is simply another step in the process towards a final decision to proceed, or not, with the proposed redevelopment,” Ian Thomson, CEO of Forestville RSL, told Manly Observer.
“The Board and management have committed to reviewing the project feasibility at every significant stage of the proposed redevelopment. A ‘yes’ vote next Thursday will be the catalyst for another feasibility assessment.”
However, Save Forestville RSL, the member group against the development, issued a statement saying this is the members last chance to stop the development.
“This will be the only vote we get on [the development],” the e-mail read.
“If the club cannot classify its land as non-core (as they are trying to do), they will be unable to develop it as they propose. If the club wins, they are not going to give us another vote to stop them.”
Manly Observer has also heard reports the information sessions, designed to “fully inform members” ahead of the SGM, did not allow for questions in an open forum and members expressed a concern about the lack of transparency from management regarding the development plans. However, management stated that they designed the structure of the information session based on member feedback (more on that below).
The Vote
The SGM will be held tomorrow Thursday, 11 December 2025, at 6:30pm.
While there were initial thoughts of holding the meeting after the school holiday period, management received new advice to hold it prior to the Christmas festivities.
Only eligible members in physical attendance at the SGM at the Forestville RSL Club will be eligible to vote. The two Ordinary Resolutions will require a majority vote (more than 50 per cent) to pass.
The first ordinary resolution is:
“That members declare, for the purposes of section 41E of the Registered Clubs Act 1976 (NSW), that all of the Club’s land and premises at 20 and 22 Melwood Avenue, Forestville NSW 2087, respectively being lot 31 in deposited plan 366454 and lot 2589 in deposited plan 752038 not to be core property of the Club.”
Within the agenda, management outlines the purpose of defining the land, car park and RSL Club as non-core property is for the Board and management to have more flexibility to manage the development and the various building contracts without needing to get regular member sign-off.
While the notice assures members that the Club won’t be sold off, the Board notes the planned Independent Living Units will be leased or licenced to residents and it’s impractical to have each lease or licence agreement approved by a general meeting (which would be required if the property remained as core-property).
If the first ordinary resolution is passed, the second resolution will be put to members:
“That members declare, for the purposes of section 41E of the Registered Clubs Act 1976 (NSW), that the proposed new registered/licensed premises of the Club and associated facilities and car parking (New Club premises and Club associated facilities and car parking) on the Club’s land at 22 Melwood Avenue, Forestville NSW 2087, being lot 2589 in deposited plan 752038, to be core property of the Club immediately following completion of construction and issue of an occupation certificate for the New Club premises and Club associated facilities and car parking.”
The Board notes this resolution is to provide members confidence that there is no intention of selling off the new Club in the future but to reestablish it as core-property.
The RSL’s Redevelopment Team has held two information sessions to “ensure members are fully informed ahead” of the SGM. One was on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 at 6:30pm, and the other on Saturday, 6 December 2025 at 2:30pm.
Manly Observer has heard reports from members who attended the Tuesday evening information session that Mr Thomson gave a presentation of the development, which he has given several times during the past couple of years.
We have been told that questions were not permitted in the open forum; however, members could ask questions of planning staff at the back of the room, but those staff were unable to provide further clarification.
Mr Thomson explained that following member feedback from previous information sessions, where a “small number of members dominated the Q&A, it was decided that a better way of dealing with questions was to allow individual members to direct questions to the relevant subject-matter-expert”.
Legal advisors, the project manager, retirement village experts, finance experts and senior club management were at individual tables in the meeting room, who Mr Thomson said, provided unlimited time to attendees.
“Interestingly, the feedback we received regarding this format for the Q&A was very positive,” he said.
Members also expressed to us they were deeply concerned about the lack of transparency from the Club – stating the Club would not share the floor plans of the development with members, instead referring them to Council’s development website, which can be difficult to navigate.
“Attendees were informed that the next phase of the redevelopment would entail a refinement of the floor plan contained in the approved DA,” Mr Thomson explained.
“This is standard procedure for DA’s as we move to providing suitable documentation to go to tender. Attendees were informed that once these plans were finalised members would be informed via future written material and information sessions.”
However, this would be after members have voted.
In a letter written to management and the Board, 75 members have addressed their issues and concerns about the development and have asked for the SGM to be deferred until such time that they can receive an adequate response to their questions.
In an e-mail cited by Manly Observer, Mr Thomson wrote they will provide a response at their earliest convenience; however, as this year is the club’s busiest time of year, they cannot commit to a timeframe for that response.
Mr Thomson added that the five-page letter was sent to the Club the day before the first information session. We have been informed by members that this is not the first time they’ve asked the Club to address their concerns, which have not changed and have not been, according to members, adequately addressed.
Finally, the notice sent to members outlines how the Club will fund the development.
“The Board intends the Club will have a peak debt of $90,000,000 to complete the proposed development,” the notice said.
The leasing of the Independent Living Units will “fully repay” the debt.
Quick backstory
In August 2025, the Sydney North Planning Panel unanimously approved the $76,945,000 construction of a registered club and seniors housing, comprising 52 independent living units (down from the original 55) and ancillary uses for a new Forestville RSL.
Members against the development raised concerns management had gone ahead with getting the development application approved without giving members an opportunity to vote on the proposal.
While management said they are simply future-proofing the RSL.
The development will happen in two stages, each taking around 18 months.
Stage 1 will include the construction of a three-level basement car park, the construction of a three-storey mixed use building containing the registered club on the ground floor and two storeys of 16 independent living units, landscaping, driveway and pedestrian access points.
Stage 2 will include the demolition of the existing registered club, the construction of a two-level basement car park, the construction of 36 independent living units across three separate three-storey building, landscaped open communal space, vehicle crossing to the basement and pedestrian access points to the residential areas.
We covered the eariler story here:
“Save our bowling greens”: The biggest change to Forestville RSL is coming… if members vote for it
