The Regulars Update is a monthly newssheet (except that December and January are combined) containing items, which could be of interest to the Service and ex-Service community.  This newssheet is distributed to some politicians, some media outlets, some senior Service officers and RDFWA branches.  Branches are encouraged to distribute Update further.  Input and feedback from all branches will enhance the content and quality of this newssheet.  Soon after its distribution Update is posted to our web site at www.rdfwa.org.au. The website contains information about joining RDFWA.

AUSTRALIAN WAR GRAVES DIRECTOR APPOINTED

Major General Paul Stevens AO (Retd) has been appointed as Director of the Office of Australian War Graves for a three-year term.  MAJGEN Stevens replaces Air Vice-Marshal Gary Beck AO (Retd) who held the position from 1998.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Australian War Memorial, Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross AO MBE (Retd), has been re-appointed a part-time member of the Council for a period of twelve months.  Military plaque sculptor, Dr Ross Bastiaan AM RFD, has been re-appointed a part-time member for a period of two years.

Author and journalist, Mr Les Carlyon, has been appointed a part-time member of the Council for a period of three years.  In addition, the former Chief of the Defence Force and Australian of the Year, General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Retd), has been appointed a part-time member of the Council for a period of three years as has the National President of the RSL, Major General Bill Crews AO (Retd).

AUSTRALIA'S CAPABILITY TO MANUFACTURE PROPELLANT AND EXPLOSIVES

The Government will provide approximately $300 million over eight years to modernise the propellant manufacturing capability of the explosives and propellant facility at Mulwala NSW, in order to ensure Australia retains a capability to manufacture propellants and high explosives.  The redevelopment project aims to modernise the core propellant production capability at Mulwala, which is essential to delivering a safer propellant manufacturing capability and meeting environmental regulations. Maintaining this capability in Australia ensures that there is ongoing domestic access to munitions and explosives.

$194 MILLION TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN ADF PERSONNEL

A further $194 million will be spent over four years on measures to grow military workforce numbers, designed to address shortages in 25 critical trades across the Australian Defence Force and to provide temporary relief through the backfilling of vacant military positions.  A number of recruitment and retention measures have been implemented or are proposed.  The package includes:

a.   recruitment initiatives which will increase the number of new intakes to the Australian Defence Force, especially in the critical trades, including:

• developing recruiting strategies to improve the volume of enquiries and the conversion rate of enquiries into contracted enlistment, particularly in the critical employment categories;

• measures to increase the number of recruits entering critical categories, including the use of selected enlistment bonuses;

• measures to improve the retention of Australian Defence Force personnel beyond the completion of their Initial Period of Service or Return of Service Obligation;

• extending targeted sign-on, retention and completion bonuses to a much wider range of critical Australian Defence Force employment categories;

• overseas recruitment; and

• maintaining the Defence recruiting homepage as a popular interactive website in Australia for 17-26 year olds;

b.    retention and completion bonuses for critical Navy trades;

c.    retention and completion bonuses for other critical trades across the three Services; 

d.    the implementation of the Australian Defence Force Rehabilitation Programme which is designed to reduce the impact of occupational injury and illness, thereby reducing the separation rates through fewer medical discharges; and

e.    the temporary backfilling of military positions with civilian personnel in the areas of project management, logistics sustainment, personnel services and support to our bases and establishments. 

Defence is also implementing measures agreed in the Government's response to the Military Justice Inquiry that signal a demonstrable change in culture and to stress the ‘people first' philosophy of the Australian Defence Force.

DEFENCE LEGAL SERVICES PANEL ANNOUNCED

Defence has moved to a new panel arrangement for the provision of external legal services.  Under the new arrangements, fifteen legal firms have been appointed to provide services in one or more of sixteen areas of legal expertise.  The Department’s current legal panel comprises of four primary panelists and three reserve panelists.

There will be separate panels for each of the sixteen areas of legal expertise.  Some firms are members of all sixteen panels and some are members of only a few panels. The new arrangement complies with the recommendations of the ANAO Performance Audit Report of June 2005 on Legal Services Arrangements in the Australian Public Service, including the management of the panels through central legal units as coordination points for providing legal advice and obtaining external legal services.

Defence capital projects

Defence will carry out over $459 million worth of infrastructure projects in 2006-10 including:

• Base trunk engineering services, civil works and infrastructure upgrades at RAAF Amberley, QLD.
   

• Civil works, building construction and base infrastructure upgrades at Holsworthy, Sydney.  The project provides working accommodation and base infrastructure upgrades to support Special Forces units.
   

• Base infrastructure upgrades and construction of facilities and accommodation at RAAF East Sale, Victoria and RAAF Wagga, NSW.  These projects provide for working accommodation, training facilities and living accommodation for students and staff to allow the relocation from RAAF College at RAAF Williams, VIC and RAAF Edinburgh, SA.
   

• Supporting base infrastructure upgrades and working accommodation construction at Kokoda Barracks Canungra, QLD.  The project provides for upgraded training, messing, and living-in accommodation.
   

• Construction of a conference centre and continued fit-out of laboratory and research facilities at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation facility, Fishermans Bend, Melbourne. The project provides for the relocation of the research facility at Maribyrnong into enhanced research and laboratory facilities at Fishermans Bend.
   

• Construction of interim and permanent working accommodation, and supporting infrastructure at Holsworthy, Sydney.  The project provides the facilities to allow the relocation of No 171 Aviation Squadron from Townsville to Sydney.
   

• Construction of ordnance loading aprons at RAAF Williamtown, NSW.  The project provides for redevelopment of base infrastructure and working accommodation and for facilities to support the introduction of the airborne early warning and control capability.
   

• Upgraded port facilities at Darwin Naval Base, NT to support the new Armidale-class patrol boats. The work is being staged to allow for the continuing operations of the naval base.
   

• Continuing construction of ranges and supporting infrastructure at Holsworthy, Sydney.  The project provides specialised training ranges and training facilities to support Special Forces units. 

Mr L.J. Bienkiewicz – 0411 444248

Commodore H J P Adams (Retd) - 02 6292 1452

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