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Exiled Rebels boss leases clubhouse for $130,000 while club infighting continues back home

Rebels boss Alex Vella is raking in $130,000 a year for leasing out his now-defunct national clubhouse, writes Ava Benny-Morrison.

Exiled Rebels Motorcycle Club boss Alex Vella is leasing out the national clubhouse for more than $100,000 a year after police put an end to the bikie haunt of almost 30 years.

It follows years of members pouring in their fees and contributions, supposedly to pay off the land.

Bike shows would come out with at least $40,000 profit but the bill for the land never seemed to reduce. 

Former Leppington clubhouse member

The closure of the iconic Leppington clubhouse and the income generated from its lease comes as members dismayed at the gang's hierarchy continue to "patch out", or leave, the club.

Members of several of the bikers clubs in NSW gather at the Rebels' national headquarters for the United Motorcycle ...

Members of several of the bikers clubs in NSW gather at the Rebels' national headquarters for the United Motorcycle Council meeting, Leppington, in 2009. Photo: Kate Geraghty

The sprawling clubhouse, which has served as a Rebels OMCG institution since the 1990s, has seen little activity since NSW Police sought to declare it a restricted premises in 2014.

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Since then police and the owner, Mr Vella, had been in negotiations in the Supreme Court to use the Bringelly Road property for something other than a bikie clubhouse.

An agreement was reached that Mr Vella would dispose of the 2.7 hectare property and it wouldn't be declared a restricted premises.

Alex Vella, president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, is in exile in Malta after having his visa cancelled in 2014.

Alex Vella, president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club, is in exile in Malta after having his visa cancelled in 2014. Photo: Janie Barrett

However, following a struggle to sell it, it is understood a building storage company took up an offer to lease the property at an advertised price of $130,000 per year.

The new tenants and the use of the property satisfied NSW Police and the Supreme Court matter was dismissed.

Relegated to history

Mr Vella briefly lost his grip on the leadership after a member revolt in the early 1990s.

Mr Vella briefly lost his grip on the leadership after a member revolt in the early 1990s. Photo: Bryan Charlton

The Rebels insignia emblazoned across the front gates, the members bar, and the red and blue club flags are now images of the past.

For years the clubhouse was host to Tuesday church nights and Thursday BBQ nights, and was where Mr Vella briefly lost his grip on the leadership after a member revolt in the early 1990s.

A former member told Fairfax Media Mr Vella bought the land on behalf of the club. Members were expected to pay off the bill through fees and bike shows.

"Bike shows would come out with at least $40,000 profit but the bill for the land never seemed to reduce," the source said. Weekly members' dues and the cost of buying colours would also go to paying off the debt.

Property records show the property was bought in 1985 for $198,000.

Mr Vella, who is registered as the property owner, is leasing the land through Colliers International Real Estate while he remains in exile in Malta after having his visa cancelled in 2014.

"I can't comment on that, thank you," agent Fab Dalfonso said when contacted about the lease.

Mr Vella's presidential absence has sent ripples of instability through the club, particularly its chapters in Sydney's south-west.

The area, traditionally a Rebels stronghold, has members patching out at rates police have never seen before.

While police certainly don't believe the club is expanding, they don't have concrete figures on the current Rebels membership.

Infighting leads to shooting 

Infighting prompted patch-outs from chapters around Campbelltown, with at least one chapter breaking away from the club and others merging.

This sparked the shooting of well-known Rebels member Darren Wallace in Picton in December.

Mr Wallace had met with Tevita Daunibau to discuss the conditions under which Daunibau could leave the Rebels club, including handing over his bike.

Fairfax Media has been told members who have been in the Rebels gang for less than five years can usually leave the club after paying a $10,000 fine and handing over their bike.

However, this didn't appear to sit well with Daunibau, who was part of a chapter that had split from the club.

He pulled out a gun on Picton's main street and shot Mr Wallace before turning the weapon on himself.

Sources say some ex-members of the Campbelltown chapter have chosen to leave the bikie fraternity altogether rather than patch over to other clubs.

"The Rebels wanted to make an example of them because they didn't have the backing of another club," one police officer said.

Among the other factors contributing to the Rebels leadership shake-up included the death of sergeant-at-arms Simon Rasic in 2014, the patch-out of enforcer Ricky Ciano and the pending deportation of an alleged chapter president Shane Martin.

Other outgoing patched members have reported feeling dismayed at being ordered to contribute to Mr Vella's fund to fight his visa cancellation despite the bikie boss' considerable wealth.

"Members had to contribute $200 to Alex's fighting fund and won't very happy about giving him money while he was overseas," a police source said.