By RUSSELL BENNETT
BY EMERALD RSL president Peter Maloney’s own estimation, Anzac Day eve was one of the biggest days in his club’s history.
Local residents packed out the clubrooms to hear a ground-breaking announcement that is sure to make the Emerald club a real trailblazer among RSLs throughout the country.
All three levels of government were represented to announce that the club had been successful in receiving the funding for all three of its dream projects – an Anzac Walk to recreate an avenue of honour in the town, an Anzac Place memorial for future Anzac Day services and a Statue of the Unknown Soldier.
“We thought big and put a lot of work in – applying to all three levels of government,” Mr Maloney said.
“Those applications were looked at favourably, and this is now one of the biggest nights in the history of the club.
“It makes us feel as though they believe we’re a significant club and that we’re doing things right and they’re willing to back us.
“We’re growing in stature now and we’re projecting ourselves out into the community, and that’s the key for an RSL today – if you don’t do it, you die.”
Mr Maloney said there used to be a distinct divide between the RSL and the local community. Not any longer.
“It’s a big project in the next year, and now that we have all our funds in line, we have to perform,” he said.
“We have three levels of government, the community and the RSL establishment looking at us and we have to get this right.”
La Trobe MP Jason Wood announced more than $47,000 to help create the avenue of honour and Anzac Place, as well as $25,000 for a Statue of the Unknown Soldier.
Further to that, Gembrook MP Brad Battin announced more than $15,000 for the honour boards along Anzac Walk – recognising the 32 Emerald-area soldiers who served in the World War I.
Finally, topping the night off, Cardinia Shire Council announced the donation of recycled wood from the contentious Worrell Reserve trees and that the shire would absorb the cost of the construction of the path for the walk, as well as the landscaping, tree-planting and ongoing maintenance.
