This page contains some useful facts and links to important documents, articles and sites.  Select the item below to retrieve the information.

• Medical Records

• Mens Health Peer Education

• Occupational Hygiene Survey

• Use of Chemicals in Submarines

• DVA Forms Online

• What is the AVADSC?

• Senior Australian Tax Offset (SATO) & Your Tax Return

• Gold Card Eligibility Extended

• Carer Support

Service & Medical Records
Copies of your Service and Medical records are available. Proof of identity or Next-of-Kin relationship is required and all requests require a signature. Due to privacy restrictions, specific regulations apply to the distribution of confidential personnel records.

Some fees may be involved; check with the contacts below.

Service Records
Personnel Records RAN
Queanbeyan Annex 2,
Department of Defence Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6266 5962
Fax: +61 2 6266 5851

Health/Medical Records
Australian Defence Force Health Records - Army (ADFHR-A)
GPO Box 1932
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

For copies of your or your ancestor’s service records go to the Defence site.

Historical service records
WWI and WW2
National Archives of Australia
Phone: 1300 886 881
E-mail: ww1prs@naa.gov.au
http://www.naa.gov.au

Telephone Number: (03) 9282 4911
Facsimile Number: (03) 9282 5978

Mens Health Peer Education

The Mens Health Peer Education web site provides:

      * helpful information on health and lifestyle issues
      * online Men's Health Peer Education manual
      * contact details for obtaining more information

What is Men's Health Peer Education?
The Men's Health Peer Education (MHPE) program was funded as part of the supplementary package of support provided by the Australian Government in response to the validated findings of the Vietnam Veterans' Health Study.

The concept for the Men's Health Peer Education program came from the veteran community. It is based on a Tasmanian pilot conducted in 1999 by the Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia (Tas). The pilot was in response to the recognition that Vietnam veterans experienced a higher incidence of certain conditions, including coronary heart disease, prostate cancer, high alcohol consumption and related conditions and diabetes.

Following the pilot project and national consultation with veteran communities, the MHPE program was set up to encourage all veterans and ex-service organisations to share the responsibility for managing their own health and well being.

The MHPE program trains volunteers to provide health information to their veteran peers to assist them in making informed lifestyle choices around their health. The program is open to all veterans or partners of veterans.

For further information about the program or training courses for MHPE Volunteers contact DVA on 133 254 or menshealth@dva.gov.au

Use of Chemicals in Submarines
Members are advised that that DVA staff have been instructed by the National Manager Primary Claims to consider a range of chemicals that could contribute to certain conditions for all Claims from submariners. Hence the need to identify ourselves on the Claim Form as Submariners. The purpose of this BusinessLine is to provide information to delegates administering compensation claims relating to ADF service aboard Oberon Class Submariners under the provisions of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA) and its predecessor legislation and the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA).

Occupational Hygiene Survey
As reported previously, the Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health (CMVH) was going to conduct an Occupational Hygiene Survey of the Oberon Class Submarines. The aim of the project was:

a. To conduct a retrospective occupational hygiene survey of the Oberon Class Submarine.
b. To identify known hazards of the Oberon Class HMA Submarines and estimate exposures and risk of harm based on the available literature and existing DSTO reports.

The CMVH research included liaison with the Submarine Association Australia, inspection of Oberon Class submarine and focus groups that included Oberon Class submariners.

At last we have in our hot little hands the Final Report of the ‘Oberon Class Submarine Occupational Hygiene Project’ which was given to us at a meeting with Simon Harrington the Repatriation Commissioner, Representatives from DVA, Defence and the RMA on Friday 10th November. Whilst the recommendations sound positive I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for DVA or Defence to act on them. What was a positive out of the meeting was that DVA assured us that their delegates will receive a copy of the report and they will also put it on the DVA web site for Pension Officers and Doctors to refer too. DVA also advised that when seeking a diagnosis for a condition the following tables 1, 2, 4 and 5 may be of some assistant to the Doctor, also pages 47 – 53, 68 - 70 may be helpful. Please read carefully and use the report cautiously.

The Commissioner has also asked the SAA to respond to the report; the Executive has decided to reserve their comments and will not respond until it has the feeling of the members. I ask the members to read the report and send their thoughts to me by the 1st January 2007.  Follow the link below to get the Report.

Final Report of the ‘Oberon Class Submarine Occupational Hygiene Project’

Max Hardy
Health & Welfare Coordinator

DVA Forms Online
DVA Forms is an online system which allows forms used by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) to be printed or viewed on screen is now available. But remember, if making a claim for the first time, consult a Pensions Officer to ensure you get it right. Not to do so can result in your claim being rejected. Link to DVA Forms Online

What is the AVADSC?
The Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council is a National body of some thirty-eight (38) Ex Service Organisations, which was formed in 1970. The National Council delegates meet in Sydney on a monthly basis to address issues that affect ex-service personnel and war veterans. When necessary, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, who is also the Minister assisting the Minister for Defence, is contacted personally. He/she is informed of the concerns that AVADSC has regarding a particular issue including the preferred solution proposed by the Council. The Minister also keeps AVADSC informed of the progress of any ex-service issues under review.

The objective of AVADSC is to be a successful Government lobby group regarding issues affecting the veteran and ex-service community. As an organisation representing a large group of ex-service associations it can approach both State and Commonwealth Governments directly with the intent of influencing the outcome of legislation, which involves ex-service issues. AVADSC strictly confines itself with taking the ex-service concerns to Governments and speaking with the strength of a united ex-service community. AVADSC is not a welfare organisation.

Senior Australian Tax Offset (SATO) & Your Tax Return
In order to receive SATO you must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

•    meet the age requirements; and
•    be eligible to receive a Commonwealth of Australia pension or a payment from DVA during the income year, regardless of whether or not you received such a payment;
•    have not been in prison for the whole income year; AND
•    satisfy the income threshold that applies to you. If you are in this bracket read the information on the DVA website.

 

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Gold Card Eligibility Extended
The Federal Government has extended eligibility for the Gold Card to include Australian Defence Force veterans 70 years of age and over with Qualifying Service - regardless of the conflict in which they served. The extension means that these veterans will join the 282 000 Australian war veterans and war widows who currently hold a Gold Card, issued through the Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs.

To be eligible to receive a Gold Card, veterans must:

* be an Australian Defence Force veteran
* be aged 70 years or over; and
* have Qualifying Service.

Carer Support
Do you provide care for a Veteran or War Widow living in their own home? Are you a Veteran or War Widow looking after a friend or family member? Would you like to receive more information on carer support, support agencies and services available in the community? Would you like to attend a Carer Support Group in your area and talk to people who really understand you?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, a DVA Carer Support Adviser would like to hear from you.  Over 1700 family carers have become members of the Department of Veterans' Affairs Carer Support Program, and all receive a free quarterly newsletter, the 'Carers News'. Contact the DVA Carer Support Adviser, Department of Veterans' Affairs in your state.

I rang DVA the other day and I got this from the answering machine.

If you are obsessive-compulsive, press 1 repeatedly.
If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2 for you.
If you have multiple personalities, press 3,4,5 and 6
If you are paranoid, we know who you are and what you want. Stay on the line so we can frace the call.
If you are delusional, press 7 and your call will be passed to the mother ship.
If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a small voice will tell you which number to press.
If you are a manic-depressive, it doesn't matter which number you press, no one will answer.
If you are dyslexic, press 96969696969696
If you have a nervous disorder, please fidget with the pound key until a representative comes to the line.
If you have amnesia, press 8 and state your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number and your mothers maiden name.
If you have post-traumatic stress disorder, s-l-o-w-l-y and c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y press 000.
If you have bipolar disorder, please leave a message after the beep, or before the beep, or after the beep. Please wait for the beep.
If you have short-term memory loss, press 9. If you have short-term memory loss press 9, If you have short term memory loss press 9.
If you have low self-esteem, please hang up. All operators are too busy to talk to you.
If you are all of the above, congratulations you are a Submariner, don't forget to get in touch with your Advocate.