RSL NSW acting president, Brigadier Vince Williams, will visit Shoalhaven Heads as part of a statewide Listening Tour aimed at securing the future of local sub-branches and veteran support services.

Membership has increased by more than 200 per cent since 2015 and the average age of members is falling, and services supporting veterans and their families have expanded significantly across the state.

RSL NSW is also confronting serious challenges. Across NSW, many local sub-branches are under financial and operational pressure.

Rising costs, ageing infrastructure, uneven access to resources and increasing compliance demands mean that without change, some communities risk losing local veteran support in the years ahead.

Brigadier Williams and the RSL NSW leadership team will meet with representatives from sub-branches across Berry, Bowral, Braidwood, Bundanoon, Corrimal, Austinmer, Shoalhaven Heads, Bomaderry, Callala Beach, Crookwell, Coledale, Culburra Beach, Gerringong, Huskisson, Kiama-Jamberoo, Ulladulla, Moss Vale, Nowra, Sussex Inlet, Warilla, Albion Park, Goulburn, Wollongong and Bulli.

The Bugle recently reported that Gerringong RSL is facing an uncertain future as membership in the town dwindles.

The listening tour is designed to meet directly with the veteran volunteers who make up the grassroots membership of the state’s leading ex-service organisation.

“Our network of more than 300 sub-Branches is on the frontline supporting veterans and their families in cities and towns right across NSW,” he said.

“They are where veterans connect, where wellbeing support begins, and where service and sacrifice are honoured at a community level.

"Protecting that local presence is one of the most important responsibilities of this organisation.”

The Listening Tour sessions will give members a direct voice in shaping RSL NSW’s next Strategic Plan.

Discussions focus on what is working well locally, what support is needed, and what must change to ensure long-term sustainability for veteran services across the state.

“This is not about imposing solutions from Sydney,” Williams said.

“It’s about listening carefully, understanding local realities, and making sure the decisions we take as a League strengthen sub-branches rather than weaken them.”

Williams said the future of RSL NSW depends on honest conversations and a willingness to modernise, while remaining true to the organisation’s purpose.

“The Returned & Services League has been part of Australian communities for generations,” he said.

“If we want it to remain strong for the next generation of veterans, we need to adapt together. That starts with listening.”