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.

EXTRA PARENTAL LEAVE FOR DEFENCE PARENTS

Parents in the Australian Defence Force would now be able to spend more time with their families, and will now have access to two weeks paid parental leave, further assisting members to strike a healthy balance between their service and personal lives.  Where maternity leave provisions do not apply, this additional provision doubles the previous parental leave entitlement from one week and will enable parents to spend more quality time with their young children.

The increased parental leave entitlement commenced on 14 May 2006. 

 BOARD OF INQUIRY INTO THE DEATH OF PRIVATE JACOB KOVCO

The Board of Inquiry (BOI) into the death and repatriation of Private Jacob Kovco will start on Monday, 19 June 2006 prior to reconvening in mid-July.  Private Kovco died on 21 April 2006 as a result of a single gunshot wound while serving with the Australian Security Detachment in Baghdad, Iraq.  The BOI will be convened into the circumstances surrounding his death.  The BOI will also investigate the repatriation of Private Kovco to Australia.

 ENHANCEMENTS TO THE MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM

Considerable progress has been made in implementing the Government’s response to the 2005 Senate Report into ‘The Effectiveness of Australia’s Military Justice System’ and ongoing action from previous reviews of the system.  Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said Defence has provided a progress report, the first of four six-monthly progress reports to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee.  This report highlighted significant enhancements to both the discipline and administrative aspects of the Australian Military Justice System.

 BOARD APPOINTMENTS TO DEFENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY

 The Hon William Lloyd Lange and Mr William Donald Bowness have been appointed to the Board of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).   Mr Lange and Mr Bowness are both well qualified to undertake these roles, with extensive experience in property development, and business and financial management.  Mr Lange had extensive experience in public practice as an auditor and an accountant before entering the NSW Parliament as a member of the Legislative Council, where he had a successful career spanning 20 years.  Mr Lange is currently the Chairman of Tollaust Pty Ltd and is also currently a director of a number of companies engaged in property development and management.

Mr Bowness is the founder and current Chairman and CEO of Wilbow Corporation Pty Ltd, a Melbourne-based property developer.  Prior to this, he worked in a senior management capacity for various property entities.  Mr Bowness is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

The Minister for Defence has portfolio responsibility for the Defence Housing Authority whilst the Minister for Finance and Administration has joint shareholder responsibility with the Minister for Defence for DHA.  DHA is a statutory government authority and Government Business Enterprise with responsibility for providing quality housing for the Australian Defence Force.   As of 31 December 2005, DHA had 16,653 houses, assets of $1.53 billion and 700 employees.

 NEW $300 MILLION HEADQUARTERS JOINT OPERATIONS COMMAND

Praeco Pty Ltd has been selected as the preferred tenderer to construct the new $300 million purpose-built Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) near Bungendore, NSW.  Praeco Pty Ltd – a consortium comprising Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd and ABN AMRO Australia Ltd – was selected after an extensive and detailed tender evaluation process following the release of the Request for Tender on 1 September, 2004.

The consortium will be providing the buildings, infrastructure, maintenance and services components of the Project under private financing arrangements.  The private financing arrangements have been assessed to provide better value for money for the Commonwealth than traditional procurement as it transfers to the private sector many of the risks in the areas of design, construction, maintenance and operation of the facility which the private sector is better positioned to manage. Private financing also allows the Government to focus on delivering core services or capability.

The selection of Praeco Pty Ltd as the preferred tenderer is conditional on the consortium reaching agreement with Defence on a number of matters during contract negotiations.  This is not unusual for a project of the scope and scale of the Headquarters project.   Praeco Pty Ltd will be required to build, operate and maintain the new headquarters facility for the 30-year contract term.  Defence has retained the responsibility for the procurement, installation and maintenance of the command, control, communications, computing and intelligence (C4I) systems for the facility.

A Queanbeyan-based company, Codarra Advanced Systems, was recently awarded a three-year, $7 million contract for project management and systems engineering services to assist Defence in the delivery of the C4I systems for the facility.

 MENTAL HEALTH BOOST FOR VETERANS

Mental health support for veterans through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has been boosted with a further $20 million over four years in this year’s budget to increase mental health spending.  This is in addition to more than $130 million currently spent each year on mental health services for veterans. This funding boost will expand access to the range of mental health care services available to veterans and their families.

 Black Hawk civil settlement

The Government has advised that media reports that the Australian Government is delaying proposed civil settlement payments to the widows and survivors of the tragic 1996 Black Hawk accident are not correct.  A proposed out-of-court settlement between Quinn and Scattini, the lawyers representing victims’ families and survivors, and ITT, the US manufacturer of the night-vision goggles worn by pilots on the night of the accident, has been negotiated.

The Commonwealth was not a party to the negotiations between the lawyers or consulted on the terms and conditions of the proposed settlement.  The conditions sought by the two parties in the negotiated settlement included a request that the Commonwealth waive any entitlement to the recovery of compensation payments already paid, or to be paid, by the Australian Government under statutory compensation schemes and ex-gratia payments.

 2006 VETERANS LAW CONFERENCE

 The conference will be held on 27 and 28 July 2006 at Surfers Paradise.  The general aim of this conference is to discuss and promote communication and transparency on issues relating to veterans’ entitlements and military compensation.  It is a specialised and complex area of law.  It inevitably involves some hundreds of

thousands of veterans and members of the ADF, their widows and other dependents, ex-service organizations and their representatives who assist claimants, officers of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the RMA, external review agencies such as the VRB and AAT, and a wide range of medical service providers.  The determining systems provide pension or compensation, rehabilitation and treatment for the many persons who suffer injury disease or death as a result of military service.

Mr L.J. Bienkiewicz – 0411 444248
Commodore H J P Adams (Retd) - 02 6292 1452

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