After three years, the future of Forestville RSL will come down to how its members vote on a proposed seniors housing development named Garraway, which has been approved to go ahead by the Sydney North Planning Panel (SNPP).
Members against the development say the RSL’s management is putting profit over community. While management says their plan to turn the RSL into a retirement village will future proof the Club.
“The board and management genuinely believe that this is the best way forward for the club,” CEO Ian Thomson tells Manly Observer.
“Some sections of the club are 60 years old and not fit for purpose and expensive to maintain. There are large areas of the club that are used once a week. On top of that, legislation changes around gambling revenue are coming, and that will impact the club.
“We needed to look for an alternative revenue source, and we landed on a retirement village. It’s not a brand-new idea; a lot of Clubs across NSW have done this.
“So ultimately, we landed on building a new Club on the two bowling greens and building retirement village units around the Club.”
However, members, who all spoke to Manly Observer on the condition of anonymity over fearing backlash and the potential of legal action against them from the Club for speaking out, said management hasn’t given members a chance to vote on the development. Instead, they feel management is pushing the development through and are suspicious of their motivations in not giving members a say.
Those members have created an online petition against the DA which, at the time of publication, has 1,342 signatures. While the online petition asks for members to add their club member number at the time of signing, it’s not visible how many of the current signatures are Forestville RSL members.
Both sides accuse each other of miscommunication – members say management hasn’t been forthright in the details of the development, while management says the members against the development, who they say are a small group of members, are spreading myths about the development.
Manly Observer has tried its best to present both sides within this article, and when we refer to members, we are referring to those members who spoke to us anonymously, and we’ve summarised their concerns to the best of our ability.
The Garraway
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.
Northern Beaches Council recommended the DA’s approval to the Panel who noted the development supported NSW Government’s priorities to deliver well-located housing. Forestville RSL is within 800m of the State-identified Forestville town centre and is on R2 Low Density Residential zoning. In short, the maximum height allowance is up to 9.5m; however, the development would see a height of 12.352m for the Club building and 9.5m for the Independent Living Units. Both Council and SNPP noted the bulk and scale of the building would maintain an appropriate visual relationship with the existing surrounding low-density residential character.
Of the 62 submissions received during the exhibition periods, only two were in support of the DA. Individuals raised concerns about the DA being inconsistent with the surrounding low-density residential character, social impacts, public safety, residential and public amenity impacts, traffic impacts, construction impacts and inadequate transparency/public consultation between the RSL Club and RSL members.
The development will be carried out in two stages.
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.
Amendments to the plans were noted in SNPP’s determination. The biggest one is the public toilets adjacent to the indoor gaming room within the RSL must be amended to ensure the female and male bathrooms are physically separated by a dividing wall and separate entrances (the original plans had a unisex style toilet).
In September 2025, Forestville RSL opened up expressions of interest (EOI) for Garraway after receiving a “strong level of interest from members and the wider community wanting to learn more about the proposed retirement village”.
Ian tells Manly Observer that within 24 hours of EOIs opening, they had 50 online applications – this was on top of the 25 EOIs they already had.
Even with an approved DA, Forestville RSL’s management and board cannot break ground until its members decide whether they want the new development.
The Vote
At least 50 per cent of members must approve the development at a general meeting (in person), and the Club needs to provide 21 days’ notice to members once they set the meeting date. Originally, the meeting was to be scheduled in October 2025, however, this was pushed back.
“We want to be in a position to give members enough information to make an informed decision,” Ian says.
The date was then set for after the summer school holiday period; however, after re-confirming legal advice on what information the club needs to provide to members as part of the official ‘Notice of Meeting’, this date could be held sooner.
Members who spoke to us shared their concern the meeting would be held at an un-family friendly time (like 7pm on a Monday evening) as they believe most of the families with young children would be against the development, with those in favour being those who would want to live at the retirement village.
However, Ian confirmed the meeting date would suit the majority of members and would avoid the regulated Christmas school holidays.
No communication and no say
The first and main concern for members who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity is how the development application happened. They express that the membership base has been disengaged from the process with no clear communication from ideas of the proposed development, to progress updates, to having a say.
“Why doesn’t [management] just send a link to the whole Forestville RSL membership with the plans of the DA than just a website (Heart of Forestville) with information on it?” one member asks.
Ian counters this by saying that from the beginning, members were invited to share their ideas about the features and services they wanted in a new Club. These communications took place in September 2022 (the DA was submitted in October 2024).
“We’ve worked hard to keep members informed through Information Memoranda, FAQs, newsletters, General Meetings, and open forums,” Ian adds.
“While we know not everyone will see the redevelopment the same way, being open and transparent with members remains one of our top priorities.”
As for the Heart of Forestville, where updates are provided on the progress of the DA, Ian says the Club has communicated about the website through Club newsletters and member e-mails, printed information displayed in the Club, updates via the Club’s website and social media and direct engagement at information sessions.
At the time of publication, the plans for the DA are not on Heart of Forestville, however, information on the development is.
There was also no formal vote by members on whether to proceed with the DA prior to submitting to Council.
Finally, members claim they have been told they are not to discuss the DA with other members while at the RSL. They say they’ve been threatened to leave the premises.
“We’ve received some feedback from members who have felt pressured by others wanting to discuss redevelopment matters,” Ian says.
“We’ve reminded those involved that while respectful discussion is always welcome, persistent or disruptive behaviour may be considered conduct unbecoming a member and could be referred to the Club’s Disciplinary Committee, if repeated.
“Our aim is simply to ensure that the Club remains a friendly, inclusive, and enjoyable place for everyone.”
Concerns with the design
Ian says the DA process is primarily about assessing whether a proposal is feasible and permissible under planning laws, and in most cases, there will be further modifications to the approved plans as builders and architects finalise the design.
The concerns expressed to Manly Observer from members are based on the approved plans within the DA.
“In a world where you can’t fall over a new development, Forestville RSL is special for having open, green space,” one member says.
Forestville RSL has two bowling greens that are open for families with children to use while at the Club. Members say on Friday nights, families come to the RSL for dinner while their children burn off their energy running around the greens. This feature will be removed.
“We know how much the open space is valued, and the new design reflects that,” Ian says.
“It includes approximately 450 sqm of outdoor family-friendly space — about half a bowling green — integrated with dining and recreation areas to maintain that relaxed, community atmosphere.”
The Club in the DA will have a smaller total footprint than the current two-storey building, and members express concern about whether the new club will be able to accommodate the current membership base, particularly during events like Anzac Day.
“The new Club is designed with more flexible and efficient spaces that can comfortably support similar numbers and activities,” Ian explains.
“Some areas of the existing Club see little or no use, and the new layout makes much better use of the available space.”
With the reduction of the Club’s footprint, the percentage of the gaming area has expanded. Members ask why the gaming area couldn’t have been reduced in size, particularly in a climate where clubs are trying to move away from gaming as a key revenue source.
“The gaming area remains the same size as it is currently,” Ian says.
“The goal is to maintain a balanced mix of revenue streams — dining, entertainment, and gaming — to support the Club’s long-term sustainability. Importantly, the new layout allows the gaming area to be repurposed in future if the space needs change over time.”
Members also express concerns with the unisex toilets, however, as per the SNPP’s conditions, this will be changed. They add they’re concerned the apartments will look out onto children community spaces, like Scouts and playgrounds, however, Ian explains Northern Beaches Council and SNPP confirmed that the approved design meets all privacy and acoustic requirements.
Finally, concerns about the cost of the development have been on members’ minds. While Ian points to Dee Why RSL and the Diggers (who both underwent major construction to build over 55s units) as successors to follow, members point out rising building costs as a high risk to the development, especially with a three-storey basement car park.
“Comprehensive feasibility studies have been carried out, and excavation costs have been carefully factored in, with financial prudence front of mind,” Ian says in regard to the construction of the basement levels.
So, if no retirement village, then what?
This isn’t the first time Forestville RSL has considered building on the bowling greens.
In 2018, plans to replace the two bowling greens with a medical centre were abandoned after a community campaign saw a petition gain 1,700 against the development. The latest rejection of management’s decision to construct on the very same bowling greens shows a pattern.
Members say they aren’t anti-development, just that the Garraway isn’t the best option for the club.
“Something like expanding the eateries and the entertainment venues, plus lots of open, green space would be really nice,” one member says.
“Like The Palms in Terrey Hills. Something for young people and families to want to come down and enjoy a meal.”
