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First inquiry report finds progress, but more is work needed to improve outcomes for veterans and families

Defence and Veterans' Service Commission

Key Facts:

• The Defence and Veterans' Service Commission's first inquiry report, tabled in the Australian Parliament, examined whether Government actions have improved access to personal information for Defence members, veterans and families following urgent interim recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide in 2022.
• Of the five Royal Commission recommendations aimed at improving access to information, the Commission found two were fully implemented and three were only partially implemented by the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).
• Positive steps were welcomed, including the creation of dedicated Information Access Units within both departments and the adoption of administrative release as the primary means of accessing information, removing the need for legal processes.
• The report identified shortcomings, including insufficient publicly available guidance for those navigating the process, limited opportunities for ADF members to provide or update consent, and a lack of frameworks to measure whether improvements are actually benefiting Defence members, veterans and families.
• The report makes a single recommendation, calling on Defence and DVA to establish effectiveness assessment frameworks incorporating community feedback, and to undertake an immediate review of measures implemented to date, with the Commission's broader assessment of all 135 Royal Commission recommendations due to Government by 5 February 2027.

The Defence and Veterans' Service Commission's first inquiry report was tabled today in the Australian Parliament.

The Access to Information Inquiry examined whether Government actions are making it easier for Defence members, veterans and families to access their personal information from the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) since the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide made urgent interim recommendations in 2022.

The Royal Commission found a sense of confusion and lack of transparency regarding how personal information held by Defence and DVA was shared, stored and released.  Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members reported experiencing difficulties accessing their personal information. They also found it affected families seeking information about deceased loved ones.

“Access to personal information affects people’s ability to understand their service history, access support and seek answers about their loved ones. Four years ago the government agreed to the 5 Royal Commission recommendations aimed at making it easier for Defence members, veterans and families to access personal information from Defence and DVA. The Royal Commission identified these recommendations as crucially important. That is why I prioritised it as our first inquiry," Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Penny McKay said.

Both Defence and DVA reported interim recommendations 9-13 as implemented – Defence in August 2024 and DVA in June 2023.

Of the 5 recommendations made to improve access to information, the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission (DVSC) found 2 were fully implemented and 3 were partially implemented.

Commissioner McKay welcomed Defence and DVA’s creation of dedicated Information Access Units within their departments. She also welcomed Defence and DVA making administrative release of information the primary way for people to access information, without the need to go through a legal process.

“These measures are aimed at making it simpler, easier and faster for people to access information. Having a coordinated ‘no wrong door’ approach that is trauma-informed is key to improving outcomes,” Commissioner McKay said.

“However, I also found more could be done to provide easy-to-understand, publicly available information to those trying to navigate the process. And ADF members need more opportunities to provide or update their consent to release information,” Commissioner McKay said.

Commissioner McKay also determined that Defence and DVA need a plan to assess the effectiveness of the improvements they make from the outset. There is not enough evidence to know whether the Government's actions on most of the recommendations are improving outcomes for Defence members, veterans and their families.

The report makes one recommendation:

1. That Defence and DVA each:

1. establish a framework for assessing the effectiveness of implemented recommendations, incorporating feedback from the member and veteran community and relevant data.

2. undertake an immediate review of the effectiveness of the measures implemented to date in response to these Royal Commission recommendations and address areas in which the measures are not effective.

Commissioner McKay said that while progress has been made, more needs to be done to improve the experiences of Defence members, veterans and families.

"This report is an important milestone, but it is only the beginning. I urge Defence and DVA to continue to take action on the Royal Commission's recommendations.”

“We will continue to independently monitor and report on the Government's progress on implementing the Royal Commission's recommendations."

The findings from this inquiry will contribute to the DVSC's assessment of the Australian Government's response to all 135 Royal Commission recommendations. A report on that broader assessment will be provided to Government by 5 February 2027.

The Access to Information Inquiry Report including the terms of reference and submission process can be found here Access to Information Inquiry Report | Defence and Veterans' Service Commission 

About us:

The DVSC is an independent body created as a direct result of Recommendation 122 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

·        The Royal Commission made 135 recommendations across two reports. It recommended system-wide reforms across military justice, Defence culture, leadership, health care, military sexual violence, transition to civilian life, support for families and the compensation claims process.

·        The DVSC’s purpose is to oversee the government’s response to the Royal Commission, holding government to account for implementing the recommended reforms. The DVSC is monitoring, inquiring into, and reporting on reforms and providing advice and recommendations to government on system-wide improvement. Advice is informed by data, research, and the lived experiences of people in the Defence and veteran community.

Contact details:

[email protected]