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DEPUTY COMMISSIONER’S CONSULTATION FORUM - NSW

MINUTES OF THE 32ndMEETING

15 November2017

Present

Mr John Sadeik – Acting Deputy Commissioner (Chair)

Ms Kyoko Motomura – Acting Forum Secretary

Dr Ian Gardner- Principal Medical Adviser

Mr Mark Travers- Lighthouse Project Lead

Mrs Rhondda Vanzella OAM – War Widows’ Guild of Australia

Mr John Rogers – Vietnam Veterans’ Peacekeeping & Peacemaking Association

COL John Hutcheson AM – Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste Veteran

Mr Scott Seccombe – Bosnia Veteran

MAJ Kelleigh Jackson - Serving Member, Australian Army

Mr Paul Lane – Sydney Legacy

SQNLDR Del Gaudry – Women Veterans Network Australia

Ms Robyn Collins - RSL Defence Care

Mr Adrian Talbot - RSL Life Care Homes For Heroes

Mrs Mel Pyrah – Partners of Veterans Association

1.Opening

1.1Welcome, Apologies, and Adoption of Agenda

1.1.1The Chair opened the meeting, held at Rydges Central Sydney, at 10:00am, welcoming those in attendance to the 32ndmeeting of the Deputy Commissioner’s NSW ESO Consultation Forum.

1.1.2The Forum noted a change in membership, with SQNLDR Del Gaudry, replacing Mrs Amy Babbage, Women Veterans Network Australia.

1.1.3Apologies were noted for:

  • Mr James Brown – The Returned & Services League of Australia;
  • Mr Bill Cox – TPI Association;
  • Mr Greg Cant – Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia;
  • WGCDR Michael Stuart-Watt – Defence Force Welfare Association;
  • Mr Bruce Relph – Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans Association;
  • COL Graham Fleeton RFD – Defence Reserves Association;
  • Dr Rod Bain OAM - Veterans’ Medical Adviser;
  • Mr Daniel Sloan - East Timor Veteran;
  • Mr Geoff Evans - Afghanistan Veteran;
  • COL Andrew Condon CSC – Iraq Veteran;
  • SGT Alistair Scott - Australian Army;
  • Mr Ben Webb - Veterans Centre Northern Beaches;
  • Mr Tony Latimore – RSL Veterans’ Centre East Sydney;
  • Mr Darrin Lincoln – Soldier On;
  • Mrs Erin Johnstone - Defence Community Organisation;
  • Mr Allan Thomas – Regional Manager ATDP; and
  • Ms Jennifer Veitch - VVCS Director NSW/ACT.

1.1.4Members accepted the draft agenda.

2.Minutes of the Previous Meeting

2.1Members confirmed the accuracy of the minutes of the previous meeting.

2.2Members noted that, further to item 4.2.3 of the minutes of the previous meeting, Ms Veitch and Ms Stephanie Hodgson, National Manager VVCS, visited the RSL Veterans Centre on 1 September, with parties gaining a good understanding of the roles and functions of each organisation.

3.Presentations

3.1Health Issues

3.1.1Mr Sadeik introduced Dr Ian Gardner, DVA Principal Medical Adviser, to present updates on a range of veterans’ health issues, including:

  • general health care;
  • suicide prevention;
  • hearing services;
  • Mefloquine and anti-malarials;
  • firefighthazardous chemicals;
  • prior approval items; and
  • aged care.

3.1.2Members posed questions throughout the presentation and expressed their appreciation to Dr Gardner.

3.2MyService

3.2.1The Chair introduced Mr Mark Travers, Lighthouse Program Lead, Veteran-Centric Reform Digital Client Experience unit, to provide an update on MyService development. Members noted work undertaken on mapping the client experience and current status of the MyService online claims processing portal (screen shots issued with these minutes).

4.Updates on Key Business Areas and Initiatives

4.1Complaints & Feedback Management

4.1.1Members noted Feedback Management System reports for the financial year to 19October2017, compared with 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 data:

National / 2014/15 / % / 2015/16 / % / 2016/17 / % / 1/7/17- 19/10/17 / %
Complaints / 3,058 / 80.4 / 2,304 / 76.3 / 2,866 / 75 / 844 / 71.3
Compliments / 747 / 19.6 / 716 / 23.7 / 960 / 25 / 340 / 28.7
Total Feedback / 3,805 / 3,020 / 3,826 / 1,184

4.1.2Since the last meeting, complaints have mainly related to Transport/BCWD contracted services, including complaints about the quality of DVA service/information provided, as well as complaints about the timeliness of transport bookings (the vehicle either being late or not arriving) and matters such as poor driver behaviour. Rehabilitation & Compensation issues and a range of allied health contracted services complaints follow, the three categories accounting for around 50% of all complaints.

4.1.3Most compliments are recorded under a ‘general compliment’ category across all Deputy Commissioner groups, with the Office of Australian War Graves continuing to rate highly.

4.2Men’s Health Peer Education (MHPE)

4.2.1The MHPE magazine Issue 2, 2017, was distributed in October. The main theme was Physical Activity, in support of Veterans’ Health Week, with the sub-theme focussing on more challenging activities and adaptive sports.

4.3Female Veterans and Veterans’ Families Forums

4.3.1On 10 October, 23 female veterans met in Canberra for the second meeting of the Female Veterans Forum.

The following day veteran family members attended a Veterans’ Families Forum, gathering in recognition of the significant impact military service has on the whole family.

4.4Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act (DRCA)

4.4.1A new Act has been passed to replace the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA) for current and former ADF members with service prior to 1 July 2004. Titled the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA), it replaces the SRCA from 12 October 2017.

4.4.2DRCA replicates the relevant provisions of SRCA as it stood at the date of commencement. The eligibility and benefits available under the DRCA are the same as those available under the SRCA. All existing claims and entitlements under SRCA will automatically become claims and entitlements under DRCA. All new claims relating to service prior to 1July 2004, will now be determined under the DRCA.

4.4.3The DRCA was created to separate the compensation of ADF members from non-military Commonwealth employees under the SRCA, and to give the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs full responsibility for all veterans’ compensation legislation.

4.5Armistice Centenary Grants Program

4.5.1The Armistice Centenary Grants Program will run as a one-off electorate-based round, opening on 11 November 2017. Local members will identify potential applicants and projects in consultation with their community consultation committee.

4.5.2Guidelines for the grants program are currently being developed in consultation with the Minister’s Office and the Department of Finance.

4.6Consolidation of Government Grants

4.6.1Seconded DVA staff start in Department of Social Services offices in November.

4.6.2The Armistice Centenary Grants and the Centenary of ANZAC Centre Grant will be hosted on the grants Hub in the near future, but DVA will be managing these grants.

4.6.3The Veteran & Community Grants and Saluting Their Service Community Commemorative Grants will open on the Hub in February 2018. Grants-In-Aid (GIA), Building Excellence in Support & Training (BEST) and Supporting Younger Veterans grants will follow in 2018.

4.6.4A communication plan is being developed in partnership with the Hub to inform DVA staff and the veteran community. This activity will roll out before any DVA grants open on the Community Grants Hub:

4.7Out of Session Correspondence

4.7.1Members noted information provided since the last meeting:

  • Call for Assistance, Participatory Design Workshops – VVCS.
  • 70 years of international peacekeeping.
  • Vetaffairs.
  • Supporting Younger Veterans grants program.
  • Applications for Long Tan Bursary.
  • Consultation Regarding Greater Western Sydney Service Delivery.
  • Advocates access to DVAtrain.
  • Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act.
  • Female Veterans and Veterans’ Families Forums.
  • Advocacy News.
  • Kookaburra Kids program.

5.General Business

5.1Domestic Violence

5.1.1 Further to item 4.3.3 of the minutes of the previous meeting, Ms Collins led general discussion on how best to provide support to serving and former serving ADF memberswho are victims of domestic violence. It was noted that DVA has no formal policy framework around domestic violence, rather tailoring support services on a case-by-case basis.

5.2Young Veterans Project

5.2.1COL Hutcheson provided an overview of the Melbourne Legacy-led Young Veterans Projectthat encourages young veterans to share their transition story to help the ex-service community to better meet their needs. Members were invited to visit

5.3Marketing

5.3.1Mrs Vanzella led Member discussion on the promotion and marketing of ex-service support services to attract more War Widows and War Widowers into the ESO environment, particular the younger cohorts.

5.4DVA Senior Staffing

5.4.1Mr Sadeik advised Members of a number of senior officer position vacancies, including the departure of MAJGEN Dave Chalmers AO CSC, and that selection processes were underway. An announcement on the appointment of the Deputy Commissioner NSW/ACT will likely be made early in 2018.

6.Next Meeting

6.1The meeting schedule for 2018 is:

  • 10:30, Tuesday, 27 February 2018;
  • 10:30, Wednesday, 9 May 2018;
  • 10:30, Tuesday, 14 August 2018; and
  • 10:30, Tuesday, 13 November 2018.

7.Meeting Close

7.1Mr Sadeik thanked Members for their support throughout this year and closed the meeting at 12:50pm.

Hadyn White

Executive Officer to the Deputy Commissioner NSW/ACT