Vasey RSL Care is calling on the Federal Government to act with urgency on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, following the government’s official response on December 2, 2024.
Of particular concern is Recommendation 88, which calls for a national funding agreement on veterans' wellbeing. Rather than accepting this critical recommendation, the government has ‘noted’ it — a move Vasey RSL Care says falls short of the critical need highlighted in the Royal Commission’s findings.
“Recommendation 88 is a call to action, not a suggestion to be shelved,” said Vasey RSL Care CEO Janna Voloshin. “We call on the Government to move decisively from ‘noting’ this recommendation to ‘accepting’ it, and follow up by supporting ex-service organisations like ours, who are doing everything we can with limited resources to help veterans who might otherwise slip through the cracks.”
Ms Voloshin pointed to the vital role of community organisations in saving lives, as recently highlighted in Channel 7’s coverage of Vasey RSL Care's V Centre, see story here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfyT1JMdcco.
“The government must recognise and support the life-saving work being done by community organisations like ours. We have an evidence-based, operational solution to recommendation 88 in the V Centre’s Veteran Empowerment Program.
We are already making a difference, and we are ready to work with the government to deliver on this important recommendation, but we need them to get behind our program. We have reached out to the Government to offer our proven solution as a policy sounding board” Ms Voloshin said.
With the Federal Election just around the corner, Vasey RSL Care is urging the government to make a national funding arrangement for veteran wellbeing a top priority and ensure discussions with the states commence immediately.
“We need action, not just words,” Ms Voloshin said. “Accepting 104 recommendations is a good step forward, but supporting innovative projects that deliver frontline solutions is equally essential to saving the lives of vulnerable veterans.”
Vasey RSL Care are hopeful that there will be practical government progress in relation to the Royal Commission’s work, early in the new year.
About us:
BACKGROUND:
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide recommended significant changes to improve veteran wellbeing.
Recommendation 88:
Final Report - Volume 1: Executive summary, recommendations and the fundamentals
Develop a national funding agreement on veterans’ wellbeing A national funding agreement on veterans’ wellbeing should be developed, with immediate focus on the following priorities:
(a) improving outcomes for veterans who are experiencing homelessness, including a long-term investment framework that supports capital and operational expenditure for veteran-specific housing and the provision of wraparound services
(b) supporting veterans who are incarcerated, both during and after their incarceration
(c) facilitating school enrolments for children of serving members, without requiring a confirmed address
(d) developing networks of health care for veterans (see Recommendation 72)
(e) obtaining individual consent from veterans who separate involuntarily for medical or other reasons (and other cohorts at higher risk of suicide and suicidality) to provide their personal data to state and territory governments to ensure they can receive tailored support and referrals to veteran-specific services, including Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs
Vasey RSL Care’s advocacy efforts:
Vasey RSL Care have invested over $11 million into their V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program and will again be lodging a funding submission to the Federal Government for 3 years’ worth of operation costs in the 2025 Federal Budget.
The V Centre Veteran Empowerment program is located in Ivanhoe, Victoria and was opened in February 2024. This industry-first purpose-designed Program combines a safe place to live with tailored support services for veterans struggling to live a civilian life, homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The benefits to Government of this Program are forecast at over $18 million in savings over the first three years with exponentially growing ongoing savings in each subsequent year.
As reported by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, Australian veterans are almost three times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population and Australian veterans are over twice as likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Veterans are also more likely to have other homelessness risk indicators including being single, unemployed, subject to financial strain, and experiencing a greater number of traumatic life events than the broader population.
Contact details:
Heidi Flower, Government Relations Adviser, Vasey RSL Care
E: Heidi.Flower@vaseyrslcare.org.au
M: 0436 609 385
