Government’s Christmas Present to ADF Families – Higher Rents & Charges

17 Dec 2014

The Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA), together with its partners in the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations (ADSO), condemns the Government not only for its disappointingly low annual pay increase of 1.5% per annum over the next three years but now adding to that pain just before Christmas by imposing married quarter rent increases up to 4.2% to take effect from early 2015. Increase of up to 2.5% will be applied to the charges imposed on those ADF members living in Barracks.

There seems to be a total lack of transparency in the way Defence calculates its charges imposed on ADF members, particularly since these increases appear significantly more than Defence House Authority itself charges Defence.

Read the Media Statement

ADSO Banner 17Dec14

17 December 2014
MEDIA STATEMENT

GOVERNMENT’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO ADF FAMILIES – HIGHER RENTS & CHARGES

Only weeks after providing a paltry 1.5% pay increase to members of the ADF, the Government is now imposing charges for some married quarter rents well above the 1.5% ………exactly what the Defence Force Welfare Association and ADSO feared would occur.

As a Christmas present to the ADF, Defence has imposed married quarter rent increases up to 4.2% to take effect from early 2015, in addition charges imposed on members living in barracks will increase by up to 2.5% for lower standards.

“This is a total betrayal by the Government to members of the ADF and their families”, says DFWA’s National President and ADSO’s National Spokesperson David Jamison. “Not only do they grudgingly provide a pay increase that is less than CPI and therefore an effective pay cut, but they then impose charges on ADF members and their families that are higher than the 1.5%. We also contend that there is a lack of transparency in the way Defence calculates its charges imposed on ADF members which needs to be addressed”.

“What makes it worse is that for some ADF families, the Defence increase is significantly more than the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) increase charged to Defence.” How can that be justified?” David asks.

“I ask the Minister to immediately review the proposed increases to ensure any Government imposed charges on members of the ADF are fair and raised by no more than the recent 1.5% pay rise, and for rent increases to be no more than the DHA percentage increase. It’s the very least they should do” he concluded.

Contacts
‘Fair Go’ Campaign Co Directors
Ted Chitham (0418) 733 887 Alf Jaugietis (0438) 282 284
http://www.adso.org.au/ 
ADSO National Spokesman – David Jamison (0416) 107 557

ADSO comprises The Defence Force Welfare Association (DFWA), Naval Association of Australia (NAA), RAAF Association (RAAFA), Royal Australian Regiment Corporation (RARC), Australian Special Air Service Association (ASASA), Australian Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Veterans Association (APPVA), Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia (VVAA), Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Service Men and Women and Partners of Veterans Association of Australia.