RSA's turnaround wins it award

Vertical Horizon's Carl McCone presents the Community Organisation Award to Tauranga RSA president Heather Waldron. Photo / Wayne Tait Photography

The key to the Tauranga RSA's resurgence from having been "on its knees" 15 years ago was the decision to create a stream of non-member income, says general manager Graham Howard.

The RSA achieved that goal by selling its old premises in Cameron Rd and buying the Fahey Motor Inn building in Greerton. In 2009 they relocated the club there and set up the Greerton Motor Inn and the Oak Tree Restaurant.

Judges at last month's Westpac Business Awards handed the Community Organisation Award to the Tauranga RSA, praising it for "being innovative, making hard decisions and being proactive to its changing environment".

Mr Howard said he decided they should enter the awards because there had been a lot of negativity nationally about RSAs having to close.

"We thought the Tauranga RSA had such a good story. We are unique in having accommodation - there's no other RSA like it in New Zealand."

When Mr Howard took up his role in 2002, the RSA was in a bad way with membership aging and income declining.

"The chartered club scene has evolved so much over the past 10-15 years," he said.

"We used to be able to rely on bar sales and money from the pokies to survive, but you can't anymore."

Competition from other forms of entertainment and drink-driving law changes had significantly impacted bar income, he said. "We had to look around and see where we fitted in the market and what we needed to change."

Mr Howard and the committee explored a number of new options for the RSA. Then Fahey's came up for sale and the RSA decided to sell its existing premises and move the club into the Greerton premises.

"We realised we could adapt the club into the business, instead of trying to adapt a business into the club," he said. "It's been very successful."

The Westpac judges noted the RSA provided longterm support to the local community as well as playing a pivotal role in Anzac activities.

"The Tauranga RSA offers its membership one of the best facilities in the country," the judges said.

"The additional arms of the Greerton Motor Inn and the public restaurant Oak Tree ensure Tauranga RSA has a solid base to continue its support services offered to veterans, ex-service people, youth in the community and other community organisations."

Mr Howard said the RSA needed a solid income base to achieve its primary role of providing support services.

"A lot of what we have achieved has been by realising that things needed to change and being positive and proactive, rather than reactive."

Westpac Tauranga Business Awards

* Tauranga Returned and Services Association (RSA) won the Vertical Horizons Community Organisation Award.

* The Tauranga RSA was founded in 1918.