Media releases

Oct 2022

The Albanese Government will recommend the Governor-General appoint the Hon Kim Beazley AC as a member of the Council of the Australian War Memorial.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has released a digital kitbag to help families, schools and community groups conduct their own commemorative service on Remembrance Day.
Consultation on reforming veterans’ legislation has commenced today with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) seeking submissions from the community.
Mr Timothy Bayliss AM has today been appointed as the Director of War Graves for the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG).
Australians on a pension will today be waking up to see a boost in their bank accounts, thanks to the largest pension indexation increase in more than 12 years and the largest increase to allowances in three decades.
From this week, Veterans, war widows and widowers living in residential aged care will benefit from expanded access to clinically necessary allied health care services and rehabilitation aids and appliances, regardless of the level of care they are receiving.
Get out your kitchen utensils and put on your best apron as Veterans’ Health Week 2022 kicks off for 2022. 

Sep 2022

The Albanese Government has this week passed two vital pieces of Legislation supporting Defence personnel, veterans and families.
The Australian War Memorial will lead the nation with a new green energy project, delivering the largest closed loop underground geothermal technology heating and cooling system in Australia as part of the current development and expansion.
The Australian Government has delivered on a $9 million commitment to enable Invictus Australia to deliver a key sports program and various international military games.
The Albanese Government has today responded to the 13 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s Interim Report.
Community organisations across the nation will receive funding from the Australian Government to deliver projects honouring our nation’s veterans and safeguard Australia’s military history.
The Hon Anthony (Tony) Abbott AC has today been reappointed as a member of the Council of the Australian War Memorial.
Schools around the nation have been praised for their creative projects honouring Australian peacekeepers as part of the annual Anzac Day Schools’ Awards.
Australia’s reputation as a global citizen will be commemorated tomorrow in Canberra with a service recognising the 75th anniversary of our involvement in peacekeeping operations to be broadcast live on the ABC.
Tomorrow, 80 years after the Battle for Australia, we recognise all those who defended our country during the Second World War, at home and in land, air and sea battles to our north.
A new report released today shines a light on the positive experience of former Defence Force members in rejoining civilian life and their positive impact on their communities.

Aug 2022

Each year on 31 August we recognise the Australian defence personnel who served in the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation. 
Australia’s top veteran employers, employees and entrepreneurs are being celebrated today as finalists for the 2022 Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Awards are unveiled.
Veterans’ advocacy services today received a boost, with more than 119 ex-service organisations (ESOs) across Australia sharing in $4.45 million of funding under the Australian Government’s Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) grants program.
The Federal Labor Government has held the first of two Veterans Employment Round Tables, as precursor consultations to the Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit to better understand practical solutions to get more Aussie veterans and defence families into work.
Following the release of the Royal Commission’s Interim Report into Defence and Veterans Suicide, the Veterans Wellbeing Taskforce has been convened by new Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh.
Ex-service organisations and community groups can now apply for funding to help host events promoting healthy eating as part of this year’s Veterans’ Health Week.
Construction has commenced on a permanent home for the Darwin Veterans’ and Families’ Hub to help support the 10,000 veterans and families in the Northern Territory.
Tomorrow, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, Australia pauses to recognise the men and women who served in the Vietnam War, 60 years after the first Australian defence personnel were sent to South Vietnam.
The Hellfire Pass Memorial in Thailand is a tribute to the Allied prisoners of war and local labourers who worked on the Burma-Thailand railway during the Second World War.
On 15 August 1945, while the world celebrated the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, one of the most tragic chapters of Australian military history was drawing to a close on the island of Borneo. 
Seventy seven years ago today war ended in the Pacific, with Japan giving their unconditional surrender to the Allies, officially bringing an end to the Second World War. 
The Australian Government welcomes the Interim Report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide by Commissioners Nick Kaldas APM, the Hon James Douglas QC and Dr Peggy Brown AO.
The Australian Government has today committed $55 million to better support the wellbeing of Australian veterans

Jul 2022

The Government has today committed to ensuring veterans and veteran families have the services they deserve, committing an additional $70.6 million in funding over four years to increase Veterans’ Home Care fees for domestic assistance and personal care services.
Today is Korean Veterans’ Day, when we pause to remember the service and sacrifice of some 18,000 Australians who served in the Korean War.
The Albanese Government is introducing legislation to ensure that no veteran pays higher income tax because of the Federal Court decision in Commissioner of Taxation v Douglas (the Douglas decision).

Jun 2022

Townsville’s status as Australia’s largest garrison city has been confirmed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in the release of the Census 2021 results today.
For the first time ever, it is known that 581,139 Australians have reported they have served or are currently serving in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), as announced in the release of the Census 2021 data today.
A key report into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (DVA) claims processing system has today been made public.