Victorian Veterans Council and Veterans Sector Studies
The Victorian Veterans Act 2005 (the Act) established the Victorian Veterans Council (VVC) as an independent statutory body responsible for providing advice to the Victorian Government about issues affecting the Victorian veteran and ex-service community.
The VVC has conducted three sector studies – in 2008, 2015 and most recently in 2022. These studies inform the Victorian Government about the challenges facing veterans and their families and help to design and deliver policies and programs that are relevant to community needs. The most recent study was conducted by Grosvenor Public Sector Advisory and submitted to the VVC for consideration in July 2022. The study made six recommendations, which were considered by the VVC.
The VVC reviewed the completed study and supported all its recommendations in full or part. The VVC then submitted the study and the VVC’s response, which included proposed actions for both the VVC and the Victorian Government, to the Minister for Veterans for consideration.
To ensure the Victorian Government is delivering initiatives that offer tangible and meaningful support to veterans and their families, and to give these initiatives the thoughtful attention they deserve, the government has taken time to consider its response to the study. This has allowed the recommendations to be carefully considered within the broader context of:
- delivery of the Veterans Card – Victoria, providing genuine recognition and cost-of-living relief for all veterans in Victoria, launched in July 2023
- the Victorian Government’s proactive engagement with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, including the Melbourne hearings held in August 2023.
In its advice to government on the study, the VVC noted that while it supported the intent of the recommendations, some extended beyond its legislated functions.
Responses to proposed actions for the Victorian Government
Sector study recommendation 1
The VVC should provide sector stewardship of the veterans sector in Victoria, including the development of a sector-wide outcomes framework, monitoring of outcomes for veterans and improved data collection and intelligence across the sector.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
| 1(i) - The VVC recommends the Victorian Government seeks from the Commonwealth an update on the status of the implementation of Recommendation 18.1 of the Productivity Commission’s report A Better Way to Support Veterans. | Supported The Victorian Government will continue to engage with the Commonwealth on the Productivity Commission’s report. |
Sector study recommendation 2
The VVC should investigate further the issues associated with veteran cohorts who may receive less social recognition or state government benefits, and advocate to relevant state government bodies to ensure parity, where appropriate.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
2(i) - The VVC recommends that the Victorian Government supports the VVC with appropriate resourcing to implement its response to this recommendation through supporting its development and implementation of a communications and engagement strategy supported by its social media presence. 2(ii) The VVC recommends that the Victorian Government, in developing the Victorian Veterans Card, gives consideration to developing more inclusive definitions of veterans, and the veteran or ex-service community, including Reserves. 2(iii) The VVC recommends the Victorian Government reviews the Victorian Veterans Act 2005, particularly with reference to the definitions of ‘veteran’ and ‘ex-service community’ included in the Act. | Supported in principle The definition of “veterans” established for the purpose of the Veterans Card – Victoria is significantly broader than the definition within the Veterans Act 2005 (Vic) which has enabled a much broader section of the veteran community to access the benefits and discounts available with the Card. The Commonwealth Government is currently harmonising and simplifying Commonwealth legislation related to veterans. A potential review of the Victorian Veterans Act 2005 should be considered in the context of this ongoing review and following recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. |
Sector study recommendation 3
In line with greater sector stewardship (refer Recommendation 1), the VVC should play a leading role with Victorian ESOs to introduce more transparency around ESO service provision, the adoption of better practices, and greater collaboration and coordination within and between ESOs.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
3(i) - The VVC recommends that the Victorian Government could support the VVC to promote better practices, and greater collaboration and coordination within and between ESOs and VSOs through its communication and engagement activities. 3(ii) - The VVC recommends that the Victorian Government continues to support and fund activities that promote sector cooperation, including events like the 2022 ESO Summit and regional engagement. | Supported in principle While the VVC’s priority is to monitor and advise the Minister for Veterans on issues affecting the Victorian ex-service community, the VVC should continue to work with the Victorian Government to promote cooperation and collaboration across the ESO sector. |
Sector study recommendation 4
The VVC should target the accessibility and quality of mental health and suicide prevention support services as a priority area in its outcomes framework and efforts to address service gaps in the Victorian veterans sector.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
| 4(i) - The VVC recommends the Victorian Government consider veterans and their families as a defined cohort and prioritises them, when implementing the Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Framework (the Framework) recommended by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. | Supported in principle. The Victorian Government supports the VVC to engage in the rollout of recommendations from the RCVMHS, noting the Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has been established as an independent statutory authority to oversee the performance, quality and safety of Victoria’s mental health and wellbeing system. Implementation of all RCVMHS recommendations benefits veterans and their families, by increasing the availability and accessibility and improving the quality and safety of Victorian mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention and response services – and will more specifically address the unique needs and circumstances of veterans. The Victorian Government is establishing a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes and Performance Framework designed to be inclusive of and applicable for all Victorians. Monitoring of specific cohorts such as veterans will be enabled through data improvements made by and in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, and in relevant state-based services such as mental health services, as outlined in Recommendation 1. Future iterations of the Framework will respond to system reforms and performance to deliver improved mental health outcomes for all Victorians, including veterans. |
Sector study recommendation 5
The VVC should advocate to the veterans sector, federal government and state government to better promote existing available employment, education and training supports. As part of this, the VVC should advocate to resolve service gaps, accessibility and quality of these services for veterans.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
| 5(i) - The VVC recommends the Victorian Government advocates to the Commonwealth Government to both continue and significantly increase its promotion of its employment, education and training supports for veterans and their families. | Supported |
Sector study recommendation 6
The VVC should work with the veterans sector as a priority to better integrate members of the veteran community with existing Victorian Government housing and homelessness supports and initiatives as a priority cohort, and work with existing service providers to ensure a core set of wraparound supports are provided at each location.
| VVC proposed actions for the Victorian Government | Government response |
|---|---|
| 6(i) - The VVC recommends that the Victorian Government treats veterans and their immediate family members as a priority cohort in its housing and homelessness supports, programs, policies, and initiatives, with priority given at the intake phase of accessing these services. | Partially supported We recognise the importance of housing and homelessness supports for veterans and their families at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Veteran-focused housing services are supported either through funding or advocacy by the Victorian Government and provide opportunities for collaboration between government and ESOs. For example, the Veterans portfolio has worked intensively to support Carry On, to register its subsidiary Veteran Housing Australia (VHA) as the first veteran-specific Community Housing Organisation in Victoria and Australia. |
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