New South Wales
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Terms of reference
The New South Wales Consultative Forum will:
- provide a mechanism for regular consultation and discussion between the Deputy Commissioner and Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) on systemic issues that concern the veteran and defence communities arising from the range of DVA operations including:
- operational issues
- health care including hospital and community based care
- aged care both residential and community based
- health and well-being
- income support
- compensation
- rehabilitation
- emerging issues for currently serving and recently separated ADF members
- assist in identifying issues that may require referral to a national-led forum e.g. the ESO Round Table (ESORT) for strategic issues or the Operational Working Party (OWP) for day-to-day operational matters
- provide a mechanism to disseminate information about the Department of Veterans’ Affairs initiatives and the Department of Defence and broader Commonwealth activities where appropriate
- enhance the ex-service community's understanding of DVA’s service delivery performance in New South Wales through improved communication and information sharing between DVA and the ex-service community
- provide a forum which facilitates an effective working relationship between ESOs, the Deputy Commissioner and DVA staff in New South Wales.
Membership
Membership is drawn from a range of ESOs and key stakeholder groups within NSW, and will be reviewed annually to ensure membership remains representative of the broader veteran community.
| Organisation | Member |
|---|---|
| Air Force Association NSW | Ron Glew |
| Australian Peacekeeper & Peacemaker Veterans' Association | Matt Burke OAM |
| Defence Force Welfare Association, NSW Branch | Margaret Green AM |
| Naval Association | Dr Rod Bain OAM |
| RSL & Services Clubs Association NSW | Margot Smith |
| Sydney Legacy | Ian Thompson |
| Legacy Club Services | Mohita Kapoor |
| The Returned & Services League of Australia, NSW Branch (RSL NSW) |
Mick Bainbridge |
| TPI Association of NSW | Mr Kevin Kelly |
| Women Veterans Network Australia | SQNLDR Del Gaudry (Retd) |
| Wounded Heroes | Gemma Pigott |
| Australian War Widows NSW Ltd | Renee Wilson |
| Defence Force Welfare Association, NSW Branch | WGCDR Michael Stuart-Watt |
| Partners of Veterans Association, NSW Branch | Louise Freebairn |
| RSL LifeCare | David Anderson |
| Soldier On | Amy Cooper |
| Invictus Australia | Jye Martin |
| Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, NSW Branch | Sam Vecchio |
| Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) | Geoff Harrison |
| Defence Reserves Association, NSW Branch | COL Graham Fleeton RFD |
| Disaster Relief Australia | Ben Lesslie |
| Royal Australian Armoured Corps Association, NSW Branch | Mr Rob Shoebridge |
| NSW Office for Veterans Affairs | Caroline Mackaness |
| Vietnam Veterans Peacekeeping & Peacemaking Association, NSW Branch | Ron O'Connor |
| Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) | Aspasia Iosifidis |
Chair
The forum is chaired by DVA’s Deputy Commissioner for NSW and ACT.
Proxies
The Chair has discretion to allow members to nominate a substitute attendee when considered necessary.
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Meeting schedule
It is anticipated that face-to-face meetings of the State and Territory Forums will be restricted to two or three each calendar year with any additional out-of-session meetings being conducted via video or telephone conferencing as required.
Meeting summaries
Minutes of meetings will now be distributed to forum members.
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