Our purpose is to foster the best interests and wellbeing of all members of the Australian Defence Force and their families in any matter likely to affect them during or after their period of service.
Read more about us at BACKGROUND
We are also a member of the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations (ADSO), which comprises many of Australia's major military ex service organisations (ESO). The ADSO's aim is to promote and protect the conditions and well-being of the Defence Family, which embraces over three million people. It involves itself in national advocacy and the taking up of issues with the Australian Parliament and all political parties.
Our policy objectives are regularly reviewed, taking into accout current issues and resources available. Read our current (and past) objectives here.
as a CURRENT NEWS item becomes stale, it is transferred either to ARCHIVED CURRENT NEWS or into one of the CURRENT ISSUES (see list at left of page)
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22 June 2020 - HIGHER DFRDB SUPERANNUATION PENSION INCREASE. DFWA advises that the latest DFRDB superannuation pension increase to take effect 2 July 2020, for those aged over 55, is 1.5%. This compares to the CPI rate of just 1.0% and which will be applied to other Government superannuation schemes such as PSS etc. This is a direct result of the campaign waged by DFWA over many years and which in 2014 saw the Government agree to applying the higher of CPI or wages growth to those DFRDB recipients aged over 55. The battle continues to extend this arrangement to ALL military superannuation schemes and without the age restriction.
04 May 2020 - Letter from Major General Paul Brereton to RSL National President and Australian SAS Association National Chairman regarding concerns they raised about the welfare of members who may be affected by the IG-ADF's Afghanistan Inquiry. Read the letter here.
10 April 2020 - Delay in ADF Pay Case. The current ADF pay arrangement is about to expire, and a new Workplace Remuneration Arrangement (WRA) for three years was scheduled to commence at the end of this year. The DFWA will be involved again the WRA process and will provide an independent voice to ensure the interests of members of the ADF and their families are properly considered as the WRA is negotiated. The DFWA supports the recent decision of the Government, and as endorsed by the CDF, that any wage and salary-related allowance increases that are scheduled to occur over the next 12 months be deferred by six months. The effectively means that the pay rise that would ordinarily be expected at the end of the year, as part of the new WRA, will now not occur until well into 2021. The DFWA notes and supports the CDF comment that “we must be in step with community standards and expectations, so that while many Australians and families are facing significant economic difficulties, we take a pause on pay increases for ADF members”. Read the CDF's message here.
The DFWA will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated as the matter progresses. Should you have any comments you wish to make, drop the DFWA a note to wra@dfwa.org.au
08 April 2020 - National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide. DFWA welcomes the announcement detailing the policy work being undertaken by government to put in place the National Commissioner. At this difficult time in the nation’s history the government is to be commended for pushing ahead with the establishment of the National Commissioner as an independent position with a clear brief. The Attorney-General’s Department has published further information on the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention on their website. You can access this information through the following link: https://www.ag.gov.au/About/Pages/national-commissioner-defence-veteran-suicide-prevention.aspx
