Accessing information for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide

How can I access records to support my submission and/or appearance as a witness to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide?

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on 8 July 2021. The Royal Commission is independent of the Australian Government, including DVA.

Information about the Royal Commission, and the range of supports available through the Royal Commission, to people wishing to engage with it, is available on the Royal Commission’s website.

If you are providing a submission or appearing as a witness to the Royal Commission, you may wish to obtain official records from DVA, to assist you to prepare your submission and/or to give evidence.

Information about how you can make a request for your official DVA records, or how you can request third party records (if you have the appropriate authorisation), is available on our Freedom of information (FOI) page. You can also complete this form and a member of our staff will contact you to assist you.

I am not sure what records I can obtain

DVA understands that you may not be sure which records you would like to obtain. You can complete this form and a member of our staff will contact you to provide assistance.

Information about how to otherwise contact us is available on our contact us page.

How quickly will I receive my records?

DVA understands the importance of people being able to access official records for the purpose of engaging with the Royal Commission, including the need for records to be provided in a timely way.

All requests for official records made by people providing submissions or evidence to the Royal Commission are handled under the same processes and legislation as other requests for DVA records.

Our staff work through each individual request, making all efforts to respond within statutory timeframes, or otherwise within a reasonable timeframe (generally 30 days but sometimes longer depending, for example, on how the record is stored and/or the number of records involved).

It is important that your request for information is clear, stating the document(s) you want, and giving enough detail to help DVA identify the document(s).

With this in mind, please think about the information you require to support your submission or evidence, and identify this in your request. For example, you may be seeking information specifically in relation to:

• a compensation claim (for example, your claim form and medical evidence or reports obtained to support your claim)
• benefits and services (for example, claims for travel or health services)
• rehabilitation and support (for example, your rehabilitation plan or needs assessment)
• financial assistance (for example, copies of claims for Income Support or Incapacity Payments)

By providing clear information in your request, it can be processed more efficiently by our staff.