PM's
Veterans'
Employment
Awards finalists
announced
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Boeing Defence
Australia’s
first female
chief engineer,
a project
management
consultant from
Turner &
Townsend and
Westpac’s Autism
Program Manager
will vie for the
inaugural
Veteran Employee
of the Year
award at next
week’s 2018
Prime Minister’s
Veterans’
Employment
Awards.
Kathryn Burr
(Boeing Defence
Australia),
Stuart Munro
(Turner &
Townsend) and
Rachel Ranton
(Westpac Group)
are the three
finalists in the
category.
The 12 finalists
across the five
employer-focused
categories are:
Minister for
Veterans’
Affairs the Hon
Darren Chester
MP congratulated
all the
finalists and
noted that the
judges had a
tough time with
selections given
the high
standard of
nominations.
‘The calibre of
entries is an
indication of
the efforts
Australian
employers have
undertaken in
recent years to
create
employment
opportunities
for veterans and
to support their
transition to
the civilian
workforce,’ Mr
Chester said.
‘These employers
recognise that
veterans are
hard-working,
committed,
strategic,
disciplined and
adaptable
staff.’
The Minister
acknowledged the
extensive
talents and
expertise of the
three finalists
in the employee
category.
‘Kathryn Burr,
Stuart Munro and
Rachel Ranton
are fine role
models for other
ex-service men
and women
looking to
further their
careers beyond
the ADF,’ he
said.
DVA will publish
a special
edition of
DVA e-news
after the
winners are
announced on the
night of 28
March. Follow
the awards
hashtag, #PMVeteransAwards,
on social media
for updates
during the
evening.
For more
information on
the awards and
the Prime
Minister’s
Veterans’
Employment
Program, visit
www.veteransemployment.gov.au |
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New Veterans'
Affairs Minister
sworn in
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The Hon Darren
Chester MP was
sworn in as the
Minister for
Veterans’
Affairs,
Minister for
Defence
Personnel and
Minister
Assisting the
Prime Minister
for the
Centenary of
ANZAC on 5 March
2018.
Born and
educated in
Sale, Mr.
Chester lives in
Lakes Entrance
with his wife
Julie and their
four children,
and is the
Federal Member
for Gippsland.
He was first
elected to
Federal
Parliament on
June 26, 2008.
He served as the
Parliamentary
Secretary to the
Minister for
Defence under
the Abbott
Government and
Assistant
Minister for
Defence under
the Turnbull
Government. In
February 2016,
he was appointed
to Cabinet as
the Federal
Minister for
Infrastructure
and Transport.
He served three
months on the
backbench from
December 2017 to
February 2018.
Since being
appointed
Minister for
Veteran’
Affairs, Mr.
Chester has been
meeting and
consulting with
veterans and
veterans’ groups
including the
Ex-service
Organisation
Round Table (ESORT).
Prior to
entering Federal
Parliament, he
worked as a
newspaper and
television
journalist. He
is a keen
sportsman who
enjoys boating,
camping and
running
marathons. He
also assists as
a volunteer with
his children’s
junior sporting
interests,
including the
Lakes Entrance
Surf Lifesaving
Club and Lakes
Entrance
Football Netball
Club. |
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High rates of
satisfaction
with
pharmaceutical
resource
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Large numbers of
veterans and
healthcare
providers have
described the
‘Veterans'
medicines advice
and therapeutics
education
services’ (Veterans’
MATES)
program as
useful.
77% of veterans,
94% of
pharmacies and
accredited
pharmacists, and
80% of doctors
who use the
resource said
they found the
Department of
Veterans’
Affairs
initiative
helpful.
Veterans’
MATES
provides written
advice to
general
practitioners
(GPs) and
pharmacists
about potential
medication
problems with
their veteran
patients and
encourages
investigation,
review and
changes in
treatment for
those veterans.
Other
educational
material is sent
to participating
medical
practitioners
who are the
veteran’s
primary
provider, as
well as
community
pharmacists,
accredited
pharmacists and
Residential Aged
Care Facilities.
The focus is on
increasing the
use of
under-used
medicines,
reducing adverse
drug events,
reducing use of
unnecessary
medicines and
improving the
use of health
services.
The program has
proven useful to
health providers
and achieved
significant
improvements in
outcomes for
veteran
patients.
For more
information
about the
program, health
professionals
can contact the
Veterans’
MATES
Health
Professional
Helpline on 1800
500 869. |
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Mental
health support
on your mobile
phone - anytime,
anywhere.
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In its
Mobile Consumer
Survey 2017,
Deloitte found
that 88% of
Australians own
a mobile device
and that more
and more people
are using their
handheld devices
while browsing
for information,
news,
entertainment
and advice.
With this in
mind, DVA has a
number of online
mental resources
and apps to
assist our
clients. These
include
dedicated
websites for the
Veterans and
Veterans’
Counselling
Service (VVCS),
DVA’s mental
health portal
‘At Ease’
and
‘High Res’
which contains
online tools and
resources to
help build
resilience.
In addition,
there are a
series of apps
such as
‘Operation Life’
designed to help
those at risk
deal with
suicidal
thoughts, and
‘The Right Mix’
to help manage
alcohol
consumption. DVA
also actively
uses social
media channels
such as Facebook
and YouTube to
publicise mental
health programs
and services.
These tools are
free to access
and are
available 24/7
anywhere there
is access to the
internet.
These resources
are in line with
DVA’s Veteran
Centric Reform
agenda and our
commitment to
making our
programs and
services more
easily
accessible to
veterans, their
families and
carers, medical
practitioners
and health
providers.
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2018 is the 100th
anniversary of
the final year
of the First
World War and a
number of
veterans are
celebrating
their 100th
birthdays this
year as well.
One such veteran
is Harold Murray
of NSW who was
born on 8 March,
1918. He went on
to become a
Sergeant in the
27 Field Company
of the Royal
Australian
Engineers, and
served in New
Guinea during
the Second World
War. Harold’s
advice for a
long life is to
enjoy good food
and take life
one day at a
time.
Another
'birthday boy'
is Robert
Anderson from
Tweed Heads. He
was a Lance
Corporal in the
Australian
Special Wireless
Group and says
that the best
part of serving
in the ADF was
meeting his late
wife, then a
signalwoman in
the Australian
Women’s Army
Service.
Joyce James was
born in
Wollongong on 15
March, 1918 –
where she worked
as a school
teacher and
educational
psychologist. In
1945 she
travelled to
England to marry
Francis James –
a RAAF pilot who
had been shot
down on Anzac
Day 1942, but
repatriated to
England in an
exchange of
prisoners.
Enroute, Joyce
saw one of the
ships in her
convoy torpedoed
by a U-boat, but
made it safely
to England where
she married
Francis on Anzac
Day, 1945.
Happy 100th
birthday all and
thank you for
your service!
Follow us on
Facebook to
find more
stories of 2018
centenarians. |
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Passage of VCR
Bill
provides additional
support for
veterans and
their families
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Veterans and
their families
will receive
additional
support services
with the passage
of the Veterans’
Affairs
Legislation
Amendment
(Veteran-Centric
Reforms No. 1)
Bill 2018 (VCR
Bill) through
Parliament.
Greater family
support,
increased access
to childcare,
homecare and
counselling are
all part of the
services
provided through
this legislation
which highlights
the importance
of families to
veterans’ health
and wellbeing.
A new Veteran
Payment will
provide veterans
who are unable
to work with
financial
support while
they wait for
liability for
their mental
health condition
to be
determined.
Partners of
veterans may
also be eligible
for the Veteran
Payment and
veterans with
dependent
children may be
entitled to the
maximum rate of
Family Tax
Benefit Part A
without being
subject to the
Family Tax
Benefit means
test while they
receive the
Veteran Payment.
From 1 May 2018
a new pilot
program, the
Coordinated
Veteran Care
mental health
pilot, will
provide support
to veterans in
rural and
regional areas
with chronic
mental health at
the mild to
chronic status
combined with
co-morbid health
conditions.
Veterans who
have suffered a
catastrophic
injury will be
looked after
with a new
mechanism to
provide
household and
attendant care
services based
on the
individual needs
of the veteran.
Other measures
in the Bill
include an
entitlement to a
Gold Card for
Australian
Defence Force
members who
served in Japan
after the
cessation of
hostilities at
the end of World
War II and
before the
British
Commonwealth
Occupation Force
commenced, and
automating
Qualifying
Service
determinations
which will
remove the
requirement for
veterans to make
an application
for the
determination. |
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Hancocks
Jewellers of
London has
manufactured
every single
Victoria Cross
since the
medal’s
inception in
1857, and also
make the
Victoria Cross
for Australia.
The medal itself
is cast, not
struck like a
coin or pressed
using a die, and
is hand-finished
by the
jewellers, who
use bronze from
cannons captured
during the
Crimean War to
make the
medals.
The German
‘Schwerer
Gustav’ (Heavy
Gustav) rail gun
of the Second
World War was
the heaviest
moving artillery
piece ever
built. It
weighed 1,350
tons, needed a
crew of 250, was
over 45m long,
fired 7.5 ton
shells and
required a
specially built
track and 25
carriage train
to move it.
Australia’s 19th
Prime Minister,
Sir John Gorton,
served as a
fighter pilot in
the RAF during
the Second World
War. On 21
January 1942, he
was shot down
over Singapore
by a Japanese
fighter. He was
thrown heavily
into his
Hurricane’s
instrument panel
as he
crash-landed,
suffering severe
facial injuries
– the scars of
which remained
visible for the
rest of his
life.
Australian
singer Little
Pattie performed
for Australian
troops in
Vietnam with Col
Joye and the
Joye Boys in
1966. Her song
"He's My
Blonde-Headed,
Stompie Wompie,
Real Gone Surfer
Boy" was a
popular hit of
the Vietnam War
era.
‘Enola Gay’, the
Boeing B-29
Superfortress
bomber used to
dropped the
atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, was
named after
pilot Col. Paul
Tibbets’ mother
– Enola Gay
Tibbets. The
Enola Gay was
returned to the
US in 1946 and
prepared for
preservation. It
is now on
permanent
display at the
National Air and
Space Museum’s
centre in
Chantilly,
Virginia.
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