Letters to the Editor

Seeking a cool change in policy

An issue that rankles

Rent rise a surprise

No free meal deal

Fitness incentives needed

HOW TO GET A LETTER PUBLISHED

Seeking a cool change in policy

MY CURRENT residence is a privately owned property leased to DHA in Wattle Grove, Sydney.
I have asked the property manager to ask the owner to install, at the least, ceiling fans or, at best, an air conditioner. I do not feel this request is unreasonable as last year was the hottest year on record and it is only going to get worse.

I know that it is not policy at the moment for Defence to provide cooling for Sydney residences, however this needs to be reviewed.

It affects home life as small children cannot sleep during the day in summer, as they lie in bed covered in sweat. As any parent would know, over-tired children do not sleep well at all. This then affects work performance, as my wife and I are tired before we even get out of the house in the morning.

In the Liverpool area, some houses have been upgraded to include, among other things, ceiling fans, however these properties are owned by DHA. As I am in a leased property, I feel I am disadvantaged by the lack of upgrades to these leased properties.

Furthermore, the attitude I experience is that DHA is doing me a favour by providing a house for me to live in. I would like to point out that I am a property owner too, and would like nothing more than to be able to live in my own house. DHA should be there as a service provider for Defence families and should not be a profit provider to the Department of Defence.

DHA staff I have spoken to know the condition of houses in the area and know how extreme temperatures in the Liverpool area can be. A little proactiveness on their behalf to try and get this policy addressed is surely not beyond them.
Sgt Matthew Rose
SME
Moorebank

Michael Del Gigante, Acting Managing Director DHA, responds:
THE policy on providing air-conditioning in the Sydney area is determined by Defence.
DHA has raised the issue in both new and existing homes in the Sydney area with Defence on a number of occasions and I understand that solutions are currently under consideration.
Where possible, under current policy guidelines, DHA is upgrading existing homes and including amenities such as air-conditioning.
In the case of Sgt Rose, our advice to him has been that while the property owner is unwilling to install air-conditioning at this stage, we will give the tenant permission to install cooling.

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An issue that rankles

• WHEN I originally joined the Army, I thought that there was a ceremonial purpose behind the wearing of whitish/grey DPCU rank slides that some officers wore.
  I thought that perhaps they had some special job/role and that was how you identified them (similar to gold and white found in the polyester versions).
  But to my dismay, these faded DPCU rank slides are just that - faded rank slides, barely visible and hardly distinguishable with the naked eye.
  I'm sure many of us have been caught by this classic trap by a senior rank, with the old, "Don't you pay compliments to superior officers?"
  Now with the introduction of the new IR DPCUs, everyone will have the opportunity to follow the lead of a few unprofessional officers. This must be like a dream come true for RSMs and ORs alike. Stand fast!
  Capt Andrew Mahoney
  HQ 9 Bde
  Keswick Barracks.
  

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Rent rise a surprise

I AM writing in response to the recent married quarter rent rise and why it had to happen.
I was surprised, as were many, to find my allotted pay $16 lighter, especially after last year receiving a pay rise of only $17. This currently makes me a whole $1 richer.
I don't understand why there had to be a married quarter rise at all, unless DHA plans to build a second storey on my residence? Like the majority of people in Defence married quarters, I have had no major improvements to my married quarter since I moved in. I can understand a married-quarter rent rise if there were actual improvements, but there have been none.
People may say it's only $16, harden up, but in these current times of high fuel and high groceries every dollar helps.
It would also be appreciated if Defence would promulgate a married-quarter rent rise well in advance, instead of slipping it in when members are on leave.
Maybe Defence might reduce or freeze married quarter rents as an incentive for retention and recruitment in the ADF.
The big question is what to do with my whole $1 increase? Maybe three-quarters of a litre of unleaded petrol for my car.
Sgt Keith Mangnall
26 Tpt Sqn
Puckapunyal

Adrian Wellspring, Director Housing and Removals Policy, responds:
THERE is no linkage between salary increases and contributions paid by members occupying Service residences.
Salary increases occur under the WRA and are based on increases in productivity, efficiency and performance. Group Rent Scheme (GRS) contributions are outside the WRA.
GRS contributions are adjusted once a year. The last adjustment took effect in December 2005. There were two WRA salary increases in the 12 months before this GRS adjustment and another salary increase in March.
Last year's GRS increase reflected both movements in market rents of existing DHA houses and the replacement of cheaper, lower category houses with larger and newer houses. These changes reflect changing community standards and provide improved housing for ADF members.
While a member might not be in the newest house, or the local real estate rents might be low, on the next posting the house might be better or the local private-market rent a lot higher. Members pay the same rate of GRS contribution for their rank group wherever they are posted within Australia. This protects members and their families from regional differences in the real cost of housing.
Housing costs and the general cost of living for the whole community increase each year. However, the effect of increases in housing costs for members is reduced. This is because Defence subsidises the housing costs.
The Secretary and CDF took a close interest in the forecast increase in the rent bill for this financial year. A large amount of work was done to help them decide how much of the rent increase members should bear. Regrettably, the time taken to do this work created a delay in Defence's ability to advise members of the size of the increase until late in the year. This close examination of the rent bill, however, also resulted in a decision not to pass on to members the full forecast percentage increase.
Advice of GRS increases are always notified at least six weeks in advance. Members were notified in a message on October 27, 2005, that GRS increases would take effect on December 15. Advice of the changes was also included in this newspaper.

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No free meal deal

I HAVE been posted to the National Welfare Coordination Centre since January. My role, along with other members of the unit, is to operate as a watchkeeper/call operator on a rostered-shift rotation.

After a couple of weeks getting to know the job and how all things operate, I asked live-out members, who work on the watchkeeper shifts, if they were rationed in for dinner during their shift. To my surprise, they said no.
They had been in the past but someone along the chain-of-command had informed them they were not entitled to an evening meal. They were informed the reason was something to do with not working beyond their normal working hours. The unit's core hours are 0730-1600hrs.

After speaking to other members on shift work in Sydney, I found out that they too were not entitled to meals. I was under the belief that because of the hours we work the live-out members would bring their lunch, but would then have dinner supplied. They should not have to supply two meals.

Finishing work at 1930hrs is 45 minutes past the mess closing time. Members are required to bring in a second meal from home, buy it from the mess or wait until they get home. They do not have the opportunity to travel home for a meal over the normal evening meal time as some live in the western suburbs of Sydney, nor do they have a chance to leave the barracks to obtain a meal.

After searching Pacman and other sites on the net, all I could come up with was meal allowances and who/what/when you can claim meals. There was no defined area that deals with shift workers and if or when you are entitled to meals.

After speaking again to contacts, they informed me that the powers in charge of pay and conditions indicated the reason they are not entitled to a meal was our unit personnel are compensated with the amount of time off we get after shifts. How does having time off have anything to do with being rationed in or being entitled to a meal? We are at work, working over a meal period. We have the time off to compensate for the 12-hour shifts we work, including weekends and public holidays.

Can someone please explain, in layman terms, if members of my unit are entitled to a dinner or not - also where to find the writing.
WO2 Alan Tarr
NWCC
Randwick Barracks

Bob Jones, Acting Assistant Director Domestic Conditions Policy, responds:
MEMBERS who live out and who are required to work rostered shift hours are not entitled to meals at Commonwealth expense during their normal period of duty.

All members must provide their meals during normal working hours.
Even though your unit may have core hours of 0730 to 1600, your normal working hours are your rostered shifts. There are no minimum prescribed working hours for the ADF.

If a member's normal working hours extend over only one meal period, then the member is expected to provide one meal.

If the member's normal working hours extend over two meal periods, then the member is expected to provide two meals. The principle is the same - members are responsible for their own meals during their normal working hours.

This has always been the case.
There is no specific writing stating this. However, there is no entitlement in Pacman for free meals for shift workers during normal working hours.

Units must not pay for meals when there is no entitlement. Although some units may have provided unauthorised free meals in the past, this practice is rapidly dying out with the increase in auditing and accountability.
Members who live out can be entitled to a meal at Commonwealth expense if they perform extra duty. Pacman Chapter 4 Part 5 Clause 4.5.7.2 provides details of the particular extra duty circumstances which attract a meal allowance.

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Fitness incentives needed

IN AN effort to increase individual fitness levels, how about the powers that be consider using a similar system to recognise additional efforts as that of HDA: that being if soldiers achieve their highest PIL for their BFAs, then they receive a tangible reward for making the effort, be it monetary (perhaps an additional day's salary) or recreational (perhaps an additional day's leave added to their leave record).
As fitness is no longer reflected on a soldier's report, it is not surprising to hear individuals comment that they only need to do the minimum to pass. Give real incentives and the vast majority will take up the challenge in an attempt to be justly rewarded for putting in.
WO2 Walter Meurant
2FSB
Derwent Barracks

Col Bill Hanlon, Director Personnel - Army, responds:
PHYSICAL fitness is a basic requirement of soldiering and an individual responsibility. The major incentive for an individual to increase their level of fitness should be personal and professional pride.
The BFA is a tool by which the Army ensures that individuals are at the minimum level of fitness required to safely perform their duties.
Likewise, the BFA Personal Incentive Levels are provided to assist individuals in setting their own personal targets within their training regime in order to gauge how far they are above the minimum standard.
As with all aspects of our profession, but in particular the basic aspects - all members should be aiming for the highest professional standards, not the minimum. In this context it is the responsibility of all officers, warrant officer and non-commissioned officers to instill this ethos in our subordinates. In this context, consideration of any other form of incentive is inappropriate.

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HOW TO GET A LETTER PUBLISHED

Preference is given to letters of fewer than 300 words. Letters will be rejected if they are too long, abusive or can be answered by the author's unit.

They will be published only when they include the author's name, unit, location and contact number.

Send letters to: The Editor, Army newspaper, R8-LG-037, Russell Offices, Canberra, ACT 2600; or email: armynews@defencenews.gov.au