The 55th RSL National Bowls Carnival was held in South Australia from 29 April to 6 May 2024. Around 180 bowlers and their supporters arrived at the Marion Bowling Club to play in the high-anticipated annual competition.

On Wednesday, 24 April 2024, a special ceremony was held in Gapyeong, South Korea in which students from Gapyeong High School and students from Gapyeong Middle School received scholarship grants from RSL Australia. The Gapyeong Commemorative Scholarships serve as a practical and enduring memorial to honour Australians who fought and lost their lives in the Korean War (1950 – 1953).

The RSL has lodged a detailed submission in response to the Government’s release of the draft Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024. The RSL welcomes the Government’s proposed legislation to simplify veteran entitlements and has consulted across the breadth of the League to ensure members’ voices inform the development of fit-for-purpose legislation that best serves veterans and their families.

The RSL is encouraging Australians to honour the nation’s veterans and service personnel on ANZAC Day this coming Thursday. National President Greg Melick has invited Australians to join the RSL in honouring all who have served our nation.  “There’s no greater way to honour our original ANZACs and all who followed in their footsteps than by attending an ANZAC Day service and keeping the ANZAC spirit alive,” Greg Melick said.  

The RSL has announced the recipients of the 2024 RSL ANZAC of the Year Awards. The ANZAC of the Year Awards are presented ‘to recognise the efforts and achievements of up to seven Australians who have given service to their fellow Australians and to the community in a positive, selfless and compassionate manner.’

The RSL welcomes the involvement of sports codes in commemorating ANZAC Day and for their support of the veteran community. In particular, the three major football codes – AFL, NRL and Super Rugby – have developed special playing jerseys and will stage commemorations at matches on ANZAC Day. Clubs also raise funds for veteran causes on the day.

AUKUS was an inspired decision. It is the right choice for Australia. Given the geo-strategic situation and the forces arrayed against us, there are no alternatives. So now we must make it work. We are hostage to what AUKUS will deliver in strategic support, equipment, technology and indigenous industrial capabilities. As such, we are right to be concerned about when the benefits arrive and what they will cost.

The RSL makes regular representations to the Australian and State Governments on a range of veteran issues, defence matters and broader community concerns. The National President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, State Presidents and CEOs meet with Ministers and departmental heads and present the RSL’s views on questions extending from the treatment of veterans’ claims and Defence recruitment to education, housing, health, and community welfare.

On the 25th anniversary of the international military operations in Timor-Leste in 1999, a group of 32 Aussie and Kiwi veterans are set to return next week for ANZAC Day 2024 with the Brisbane-based wellness program, Timor Awakening. Their return marks a personal journey of reflection and remembrance and is a testament to the enduring bonds between Australia, New Zealand, and Timor-Leste veterans.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide conducted its final block of public hearings in Sydney from Monday, 4 March to Thursday, 28 March 2024. The RSL has prepared a summary of the Sydney Hearing Block, including the key themes examined so far and the actions taken by the League in response.

The Lest We Forget Anzac Day Tribute Concert returns to the Sydney Town Hall on Anzac Day 2024. This very special commemoration will feature over one hundred of Australia’s best military, veteran and civilian artists, all coming together to honour the Fallen.

RSL Australia attended the ESORT (Ex-Service Organisation Round Table) meeting on Wednesday, 28 February 2024. Here is the communique provided by DVA summarising the meeting.

National President Greg Melick said on behalf of the veteran community, the RSL thanked those who presented for their input and contributions, as well as those who contributed to the RSL’s submission. “The veterans, their families, ex-service organisation representatives, service and veteran personnel and others who have appeared before the Royal Commission have made vital contributions that should achieve a positive outcome for our people” Greg Melick said.

The RSL is continuing its call on the Australian Government to review the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) fee schedule for veteran healthcare and to significantly increase payments. The RSL wants the DVA fee schedule indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index and a one-off increase to account for the Medicare indexation freezes imposed over the past decade.

Each year the RSL creates special limited edition Anzac biscuit tins with unique designs that are made available in participating Coles, Aldi’s and Independent Stores. The 2024 limited edition RSL Anzac Biscuit tins are due in-store by 1 April. There are four different tin designs to collect. Different designs are exclusive to different stores, so here’s the scoop on where you can find them.

The RSL has lodged a submission calling for changes to the Government’s proposed new Aged Care Legislation to improve outcomes for veterans, widow(er)s and their families. RSL National President Greg Melick said there were specific gaps in the legislation that needed to be addressed to ensure that veterans, widow(er)s and their families were not disadvantaged when they moved into aged care. This has formed the basis of the RSL’s submission provided as feedback to the draft Bill.

The RSL has strongly condemned the vandalisation of the Vietnam War Memorial in Canberra. Overnight, vandals painted graffiti on the Vietnam War Memorial on Anzac Parade in an apparent protest to highlight the situation in Gaza. “People are entitled to protest, but the desecration of a memorial to those who served, suffered and died in the Vietnam conflict is to be deplored,” Greg Melick said.

The RSL has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of February 20 to more than double the Navy’s combat fleet, following the release of the much-anticipated Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review. However, the RSL has questioned the commitment to wider Defence readiness and is concerned that the Army has been neglected in the overall strategic upgrade. 

The RSL has called for the establishment of a robust participant consent mechanism to be included in any new program following the cessation of the Veterans’ MATES medical research program.  The RSL says that a replacement program must have a robust mechanism to ensure informed consent and to protect participants’ privacy. 

Our 2024 policy priorities continue to focus on the areas the RSL has been lobbying for in 2023. Find out what we will be advocating for in 2024.