Michael Klapdor
The Government has moved to address a number of longstanding
veterans’ issues in Budget 2017-18. In particular:
- providing access to all participants in the British Nuclear Test
(BNT) program and all British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) veterans to
a Repatriation Health Card–All Conditions (Gold Card)
- expanding non-liability health care arrangements to cover all
mental health conditions and
- providing funding to improve Department of Veterans’ Affairs
(DVA) claims-processing times, computer systems and administrative procedures.
Gold Cards for BNT participants and
BCOF veterans
The Government will provide Gold Cards to all BNT
participants and BCOF veterans at a cost of $133.1 million over four
years.[1] The Gold Cards provide
access to DVA funded health services for all medical conditions, regardless of
whether the conditions are related to an individual’s service.
From October 1952 to October 1957, British atomic weapon
detonation tests were conducted at Monte Bello islands off the west coast of
Western Australia and at Emu Field and Maralinga in South Australia.[2]
For the purposes of veterans’ entitlements and health studies, the term ‘BNT
participants’ refers not only to those who witnessed or were present when the main
detonations occurred, but also to those involved in test-related activities at
the sites up to 1965. In addition to the main detonations, six hundred minor
trials were conducted between 1953 and 1963 at the test areas, including the
testing of bomb components. Many of these trials resulted in large quantities
of radioactive contamination and exposure to radiation for military personnel
and civilians.[3]
Both Australian and British military personnel were involved
in the tests along with civilian participants such as scientists, engineers and
police. The exact number of Australian participants has been difficult to
verify, particularly in regards to the number of Indigenous people in the
Maralinga area during the BNTs. DVA compiled a nominal roll of Australian participants
in 2001 and this has been refined over time. Numbers published in 2001
suggested around 16,716 Australian participants (including 8,126 military
personnel and 8,590 civilians—including ten Indigenous Australians).[4]
The 2003 Review of Veterans’ Entitlements stated the nominal roll contained
15,406 names including 8,035 military personnel and 7,371 civilians—including
25 Indigenous people.[5]
There have been a series of studies on adverse
health outcomes for BNT participants and their families, particularly in
relation to the incidence of cancer and other health problems relating to
radiation.[6]
BCOF consisted of the armed forces from
Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and India who occupied Japan after
the surrender in 1945. Australian occupation forces were located in Japan from
1945 to 1951 and were initially based in the Hiroshima and Yamaguchi
prefectures.[7] DVA has estimated there
were around 17,000 Australians who served in BCOF.[8]
There have been decades-long controversies
over the compensation arrangements for BNT participants, BCOF veterans and
their families. Both groups have sought entitlements that were primarily
reserved for those who served in war or war-like conditions, citing the
hazardous nature of their service and, in the case of BCOF, the commitment of Prime
Minister Chifley to provide ‘full benefits’ under the Repatriation Act 1920.[9]
Providing Gold Cards to the remaining BNT
participants, those in proximity to the tests and to BCOF veterans will provide
many more individuals with access to DVA-funded treatments, including for a
range of conditions unrelated to the nuclear tests or any military service. It
will also provide access to these DVA-funded treatments to a range of civilians
not currently eligible, including Indigenous people at, or near the test sites.[10]
This will be of significant benefit to those
remaining individuals and their families. However, most BNT participants and
BCOF veterans have died in the decades since the tests and the occupation. DVA
estimates that approximately 1,800 surviving BNT participants and 1,100
surviving BCOF veterans will benefit from the measure.[11]
This measure will require amending
legislation.
Expanded mental health care
services
Amidst ongoing concern over the mental health of
service-personnel and veterans, particularly younger veterans, the Government
will provide $33.5 million over four years to provide access to mental health
treatments to current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members for any
recognised mental health condition—without the need to demonstrate that the
condition is linked to their service. Currently, such non-liability health care
is limited to specific conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder,
depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and alcohol and substance abuse
disorders.[12] The measure will allow
an estimated 2,000 current and former ADF members to benefit from mental health
treatments.[13]
The Budget also includes an additional $8.5 million over
four years to provide access to the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling
Service to the partners and children of DVA Gold or White Cards (White Cards
provide access to treatment for specific conditions) and to ex-partners of
current and former ADF members for up to five years after separation, or for
the duration of any co-parenting responsibilities for their dependent children.
A separate measure will see $9.8 million provided to a range of
suicide-prevention pilot programs.
These measures will not require legislation.
Administrative improvements and
other measures
The difficulty of making claims, delays in processing and problems
with interacting with DVA have been cited by ADF members, veterans and veterans
groups as an exacerbating factor for many suffering mental health conditions
and for those dealing with the transition from military to civilian life.[14]
The Budget includes $13.5 million aimed at improving the claims process and
reducing the current backlog of claims. A separate $166.6 million will be
allocated towards broader changes in the way services are delivered by DVA. The
reform program, known as ‘Veteran Centric Reform’ will include upgrades in
computer systems, changes to business processes and ‘piloting improved
services’ for veterans and families.
According to the Government, the ‘improved services’ are
intended to ensure the long-term ‘financial sustainability’ of DVA’s military
compensation schemes;[15] This could give rise to
concerns that the focus will be on cheaper, rather than better service
delivery. However, the modernisation of computer systems and the introduction
of a single coherent system to process and manage claims was one of the
recommendations of the 2016 Senate committee report on the mental health of ADF
members and veterans.[16]
These measures are unlikely to require legislation.
[1].
The budget figures in this brief have taken from the following
document unless otherwise sourced: Australian Government, Budget measures:
budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, 2017.
[2].
Review of Veterans’ Entitlements (J Clarke, chair), Report
of the Review of Veterans’ Entitlements, (The Clarke Review),
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), January 2003, p. 373.
[3].
M Carter, F Robotham, K Wise, G Williams and P Crouch, Australian
Participants in British Nuclear Tests in Australia: Dosimetry 2006,
DVA, Canberra, 2006, p. 6.
[4].
N Minchin, ‘Answer
to question on notice: Atomic Testing: Compensation’, [Questioner: L
Allison], Question 3625, Senate, Debates, 22 August 2001, p. 26428.
[5].
Review of Veterans’ Entitlements, op. cit., p. 375
[6].
See summary of these studies in A Biggs and P Yeend, Australian
Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Bill 2006, Bills
digest, 31, 2006–07, Parliamentary Library, Canberra, 9 October 2006, pp. 3–7.
[7].
Review of Veterans’ Entitlements, op. cit., p. 362.
[8].
Ibid.
[9].
P Sutherland, ‘Analysis
of the possible entitlement to service pension of members of the British Commonwealth
Occupation Force’, DVA, Canberra, 2011, pp. 2–3.
[10].
C Blanco, ‘”60
years too late”: Yami Lester on gold card for Indigenous people victim of
nuclear tests’, NITV News, 9 May 2017.
[11].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2017–18: budget related paper no. 1.4B: Defence Portfolio
(Department of Veterans’ Affairs), p. 18.
[12].
DVA, ‘Factsheet
HSV109 – Non-liability health care’, DVA website, last updated 26 April
2017.
[13].
DVA’, Budget
2017–18: Mental health treatment for current and former members of the Australian
Defence Force—expanded access, factsheet, DVA, Canberra, 2017.
[14].
Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Report
of the inquiry into the mental health of ADF members and veterans, The
Senate, Canberra, March 2016, pp. 102–114.
[15].
Australian Government, Budget measures:
budget paper no. 2: 2017–18, 2017, p. 179.
[16].
Ibid., p. 116.
All online articles accessed May 2017.
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