OFFICIAL
THE HON MATT KEOGH MP
Minister for VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
MEDIA RELEASE
18 July 2024
More than $4.7 million announced to support VETERAN ADVOCACY
More than $4.7 million in funding will be provided to 102 ex-service organisations (ESOs) across Australia to support veteran advocacy through the Albanese Government’s Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) grants program.
The annual grants program helps ensure veterans and families have support when making a claim or accessing entitlements with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
ESOs from every state and territory will receive funding in the 2024-25 round, helping to pay for veteran advocates’ expenses such as salaries, office equipment and domestic travel.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has made it clear that delays in accessing supports can have negative impacts on veterans and families.
The BEST grants announced today support qualified advocates in helping to make it easier for more veterans and families to get access to the services they need and deserve.
In another important step in responding to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s Interim Report, earlier this month the Albanese Government introduced legislation into Parliament to simplify and harmonise Australia’s veterans’ rehabilitation and compensation system earlier this month after significant community consultation.
After decades of piecemeal change built on top of a century of different veterans’ entitlements legislation, these reforms will deliver a system that is easier for veterans and families to understand what they are entitled to, and will make it simpler for veteran advocates to assist veterans, so veterans receive the benefits and supports they need and deserve.
The full list of grant recipients are in the table below, and more information is available at https://www.dva.gov.au/about/overview/consultations-and-grants/grants-and-bursaries/building-excellence-support-and-training-grants
More information about the simplification and harmonisation of Australia’s veterans’ rehabilitation and compensation system is available at:
https://www.dva.gov.au/about/royal-commission/veterans-legislation-reform
MEDIA CONTACT:
DVA Media: media.team@dva.gov.au
Authorised by The Hon Matt Keogh MP.
Funding under the Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Grant Program (2024–25)
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Australian Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Veterans' Association Ltd |
$25,974.97 |
|
Legacy Club of Canberra Inc. |
$2,318.26 |
|
Vietnam Veterans and Veterans Federation ACT Inc. |
$98,401.13 |
NEW SOUTH WALES
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Australian War Widows NSW Ltd |
$3,026.50 |
|
Blue Mountains Vietnam Veterans and Associated Forces Inc. |
$6,475.73 |
|
Coffs Harbour Legacy Welfare Fund |
$24,950.17 |
|
Eurobodalla Vietnam Veterans Inc. |
$1,488.64 |
|
Legacy Club Services - Armidale |
$14,474.29 |
|
Legacy Club Services – Far North Coast |
$40,679.35 |
|
Legacy Club Services - Lachlan |
$13,736.12 |
|
Legacy Club Services – Port Stephens |
$37,794.29 |
|
Legacy Club Services - Sydney |
$119,737.42 |
|
Legacy Club Services – Tamworth |
$26,850.00 |
|
Mudgee and Districts Vietnam Veterans Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association Inc. |
$11,800.00 |
|
Rooty Hill Sub-Section of the NAA Inc. |
$2,214.51 |
|
RSL LifeCare Limited |
$552,932.50 |
|
The Partners of Veterans Association of Australia - NSW Branch Inc. |
$5,965.89 |
|
Returned and Service League of Australia (NSW) Molong Sub-Branch |
$15,746.42 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (NSW) Castle Hill Sub-Branch |
$22,984.46 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (NSW) Forster Tuncurry Sub-Branch |
$1,174.92 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (NSW) Tamworth Sub-Branch |
$48,839.47 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (NSW) Cardiff Sub-Branch |
$3,617.04 |
|
Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL Sub Branch Inc. |
$92,281.58 |
|
Veterans Centre Mid-North Coast Inc. |
$22,854.99 |
|
Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia St Marys Outpost Sub-Branch Inc. |
$407,859.00 |
|
Vietnam Veterans' Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association of Australia (NSW Branch) |
$286,609.07 |
|
Vietnam Veterans' Peacekeepers' and Peacemakers' Association of Australia, Central Coast Sub Branch Inc. |
$47,973.32 |
NORTHERN TERRITORY
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia Alice Springs Sub-Branch Inc. |
$1,623.98 |
|
Veterans Australia NT Inc. |
$9,584.62 |
QUEENSLAND
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Australian War Widows Queensland |
$5,610.10 |
|
Bundaberg Legacy Inc. |
$11,290.15 |
|
Defence Force Welfare Association (Queensland Branch) Inc. |
$1,531.70 |
|
Defence Veterans Drop-In Centre Inc. |
$1,820.82 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) - Centenary Suburbs Sub-Branch Inc. |
$3,543.22 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Beenleigh and District Sub-Branch Inc. |
$7,141.80 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Bundaberg Sub Branch Inc. |
$34,670.20 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Crows Nest Sub-Branch Inc. |
$1,476.34 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Currumbin Palm Beach Sub-Branch Inc. |
$45,214.44 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gaythorne Sub-Branch Inc. |
$64,370.00 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gladstone Sub Branch Inc. |
$14,814.97 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gordonvale Sub-Branch Inc. |
$6,249.23 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Gympie Sub-Branch Inc. |
$63,591.72 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Hervey Bay Sub-Branch Inc. |
$152,215.88 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Kenmore-Moggill Sub-Branch Inc. |
$1,062.97 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Kilcoy Sub-Branch Inc. |
$12,920.00 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Maleny Sub Branch Inc. |
$1,267.19 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Manly-Lota Sub-Branch Inc. |
$31,579.00 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Maroochydore Sub-Branch Inc. |
$122,378.10 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Murgon Sub-Branch Inc. |
$7,609.31 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Nanango Sub Branch Inc. |
$4,613.57 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Pine Rivers District Sub-Branch Inc. |
$53,142.13 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Redlands Sub Branch Inc. |
$53,107.15 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Samford Sub-Branch Inc. |
$19,100.00 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Sandgate Sub Branch Inc. |
$16,033.96 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Sherwood Indooroopilly Sub-Branch Inc. |
$2,362.15 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Thuringowa Sub-Branch Inc. |
$17,408.33 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Townsville Sub Branch Inc. |
$101,950.25 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Ipswich Railway Sub-Branch Inc. |
$3,868.01 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Bray Park-Strathpine Sub-Branch Inc. |
$9,670.03 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Redcliffe Sub-Branch Inc. |
$96,033.22 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) Woodford Sub-Branch Inc. |
$3,124.92 |
|
RSL Beerwah |
$23,682.97 |
|
Legacy Club of Brisbane Limited |
$108,960.41 |
|
The Oasis Townsville Limited |
$3,838.49 |
|
Totally and Permanently Disabled Ex Servicepersons Association (Townsville) Inc. |
$18,398.90 |
|
Townsville Sub-Branch Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Inc. |
$3,543.22 |
|
Veterans' Advocacy Community of Practice Brisbane West Inc. |
$145,255.28 |
|
Veterans Care Association Inc. |
$8,064.73 |
|
Veterans of Australia Association Inc. |
$78,680.79 |
|
Veterans Support Centre Lockyer/Brisbane Valley |
$5,610.10 |
|
Veterans Support Centre North Queensland Inc. |
$34,465.55 |
|
Vietnam Veterans' Federation of Australia Queensland Branch Inc. |
$131,208.35 |
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
ANZAC Remembrance Appeal-1965 Trust Fund Inc. |
$57,506.58 |
|
Legacy Club of South Australia and Broken Hill Inc. |
$21,436.55 |
|
Returned and Services League (Salisbury) Sub-Branch Inc. |
$9,150.00 |
|
Returned and Services League Plympton Glenelg Sub-Branch Inc. |
$80,126.58 |
|
The Association of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Service Men and Women SA Branch Inc. |
$4,871.93 |
TASMANIA
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
The Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women (Tasmanian Branch) |
$18,454.26 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Tasmania Branch) Inc. |
$81,138.43 |
VICTORIA
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Ballarat RSL Sub-Branch Inc. |
$3,783.12 |
|
Kilmore Wallan RSL Sub-Branch Inc. |
$15,913.73 |
|
Leongatha RSL Sub-Branch Inc. |
$6,097.63 |
|
Melbourne Legacy |
$54,115.01 |
|
Mornington Peninsula Legacy Club Inc. |
$5,998.00 |
|
Portarlington and St Leonards RSL Sub-Branch Inc. |
$1,598.14 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. |
$193,797.94 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. Central Victorian Veterans Support Centre |
$78,096.69 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. Gippsland Veteran Welfare Centre |
$5,345.59 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. Goulburn Valley Veteran Support Centre |
$6,132.97 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. Swan Hill and District Veterans Information Centre |
$8,817.70 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. Wimmera Veterans Centre |
$3,137.22 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. West Gippsland Veterans Welfare Centre |
$301.42 |
|
Torquay RSL Sub-Branch Inc. |
$13,182.18 |
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
|
RECIPIENT |
AMOUNT |
|
Air Force Association (WA Division) Inc. |
$22,908.67 |
|
Combined Defence Force Support Association of WA Inc. (Incorporating VLSVAWA and HMAS Sydney Association) |
$19,500.00 |
|
Live Play Work Inc. |
$12,349.07 |
|
Australian Special Air Service Association (WA Branch) |
$57,114.07 |
|
Legacy Club of Western Australia Inc. |
$18,682.47 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (WA Branch) City of Mandurah Sub-Branch Inc. |
$8,447.90 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia (WA Branch) Joondalup City Sub-Branch Inc. |
$1,482.49 |
|
Returned and Services League of Australia WA Branch Inc. |
$437,724.85 |
|
Western Australia Branch of the Partners of Veterans Association of Australia Inc. |
$1,340.52 |