December changes will affect you
‘...the regulations include a requirement for all new members of the Permanent or Regular forces or Active Reservists who join after 01 July 03 to serve in the Standby Reserve after resignation or retirement from full-time or active Reserve service...’

Amendments to Defence Personnel Regulations will bring them into line with current Defence legislation from next month.

The amendments will affect all serving members of the Navy, Army and Air Force.

The new regulations, due to come into force on December 1, cover:

• Transitional arrangements;
• Appointment and enlistment;
• Retirement ages;
• Promotions and reductions in rank;
• Extension of and changes to service obligations;
• Transfers between and within the Services;
• Training requirements;
• The retired list;
• Privileges after service;
• Representation of foreign countries;
• Oaths; and
• Transfer to the Standby Reserve.

  The Standby Reserve will be one of six new categories of Reserve service that can be raised under the regulations. The others comprise the High Readiness Active Reserve, High Readiness Specialist Reserve, the Specialist Reserve, Active Reserve and other Reserve categories identified by the service chiefs.
  
  Each service will determine which of the new categories it will raise, with the exception of the Standby Reserve, which must be raised by the service chiefs.
  
  All Reservists will be moved into one of these categories when the regulations come into effect.
  
  And the regulations include requirement for all new members of the Permanent or Regular forces or Active Reservists who join after 01 July 03 to serve in the Standby Reserve after resignation or retirement from full-time or active Reserve service - a requirement already in operation for enlisted members of the Air Force.
  
  Permanent and Reserve members now serving may continue to volunteer for transfer to the Standby Reserve on completion of permanent or active service.
  
  The new regulations also include extension to the compulsory retirement age for Defence Reserves. In Army and Air Force Reserves the compulsory retirement age has been extended to 60 years, currently the compulsory retirement age for Navy Reservists. And both Permanent and Reserve members will now be able to receive age extensions to 65 years, on approval by a service chief.
  
  The Head of Defence Personnel Executive, RADM Brian Adams, said the new regulations were drafted as a result of changes to Defence legislation.
  
  “They’re designed to simplify administration and provide a standardised basis for personnel management,” he said. “They also provide flexibility to allow for policy changes that occur over time.
  
  “While the new regulations affect all personnel areas, many of the changes are relevant to the Reserve component. The new categories are being introduced to enhance readiness and availability of Defence Reserves.”
  
  RADM Adams emphasised the new categories of Reserve service, apart from the Standby Reserve, were options that did not have to be raised by the services.
  
  “The Standby Reserve, which must be raised by each service, will provide a capacity for call out but will not include any annual training requirement,” he said.
  
  “The descriptive part of the regulations has been place in Service Defence Instructions to be released on a service-by-service basis.”
  
  Features of the new regulations will be published in Navy News after they have been ratified by the CDF and Chief of Navy.
  
  Full details will also be available via the Defence website.
  

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