The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has moved to retire Max Donnelly as administrator of Parramatta Leagues Club following the appointment of a new seven-member board led by president Greg Monaghan.
The Authority appointed Mr Donnelly in 2016 to replace the former board, which had ceased to be effective.
The Authority’s chair, Philip Crawford, said the decision reflects confidence in the new board’s ability to govern in the best interests of members.
“The Authority took strong action by appointing Mr Donnelly as administrator to temporarily run the club under provisions in the Registered Clubs Act,” Mr Crawford said.
“With recent improvements to the club’s governance, the Authority supports the appointment of the new board to take the club forward.
“Community confidence in the running of large and complex registered clubs such as Parramatta Leagues Club is vital for effective administration and industry sustainability.” Mr Donnelly has overseen changes to amend the club’s constitution to address structural governance problems that contributed to previous adverse findings by the Authority.
Mr Crawford said it was pleasing that the club’s members last year voted in favour of several constitutional changes to create a more workable model of governance for the club.
In 2018, the Authority found four ex directors of the club were not “fit and proper” to be members of a club governing body in NSW over their roles in the Parramatta NRL club’s salary cap breaches in 2015 and 2016.
This arose from a complaint by Liquor & Gaming NSW relating to the ex-directors’ failure to disclose the breaches to the NRL.
The Authority also ordered the club to pay over $100,000 in legal and investigative costs.
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