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• Anzac Day march
  Show of strength
  
  All former Navy personnel who served in the Korea, Malaysian, Borneo, Vietnamese, PNG, The Gulf campaigns are invited to join the parade under the FESR banner.
  
  The Association appreciates that Navy veterans are either loyal or committed to march with other ships Associations.
  
  We trust that non-aligned veterans will see their way clear to show support and strength and march this year with us.
  
  Please indicate your intention to march by contacting Bryan Gale on (02) 47572092 or
  Laurie Shaw on (02) 43539196 or write to PO Box 754 Wyong NSW 2259 by April 18.
  
  
• End of hostilities
  War in Europe reunion
  
  All Allied Ex Service personnel are invited to a reunion in Sydney to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ending of hostilities in Europe, May 1945.
  
  The reunion will take place on May 5-7. For information contact Joan Evans on (02) 4322 0203, by email at seahawk@hotkey.net.au, or mail to PO Box 6203, West Gosford 2250.
  
  
• Hunt for collectrors
  Toy soldiers club
  
  We are looking for people in the Cairns and Far North Queensland areas who collect toy soldiers, covering all brands, makes, periods and sizes to form a club in the North Queensland area.
  
  Meetings are currently held in Townsville on a bimonthly basis, however, we are seeking new members to join and participate via email or correspondence.
  
  The next Townsville meeting is on Tuesday night March 15 at 7pm at the offices of the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service, Townsville, located at the Nathan Business Centre, 340 Ross River Road, Cranbrook.
  
  For more information contact Antony on 0416 230 348 or by email on buckomp@iprimus.com.au.
  
  
• Mateships to be recalled
  Ex-Leeuwin alert
  
  Could the author of this Billboard notice get in touch with the editor of Navy News on 02-62667707.

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Home sweet home
DHA’s housing scheme process undergoes revision

By Andrew Stackpool

Remember the removals process that you - and about 8000 other ADF families - went through with your new posting?

Defence Housing Authority has decided to make its home find scheme simpler next time around by changing the Application For Removal (AFR) process. DHA national operations manager Kevin O’Brien believes the changes will address concerns that DHA has been “keeping a lot of houses in the ‘top drawer’ for our friends and referring ‘ordinary’ people to HomeFind”.

“The problem that has remained from our work on the system is that we have not had sufficient houses to meet people’s needs,” he said.

Meetings with Defence, Defence Families Australia and DHA’s own staff found that while the HomeFind system has maximised opportunities for people to look for houses, DHA had no way of ensuring they had sufficient houses because of the processes and the late return by ADF members of their AFR.

The meeting participants also found that most of the information contained in the AFR was unnecessary for people to start looking for a new house.

The new system aims to overcome these two issues.

“This year we plan to make the process easier by a simple tactic: we send the member a simple tear-off card or similar that simply tells us that the member is posting, their preferred contact details, confirms they are taking up the posting and when they prefer to go (that preference could be amended later within a limited range after they spoke to their relocation consultant),” Mr O’Brien said.

He recommended submitting this information within seven days of receiving notice of posting. “Once we get that information, we shall immediately check the house will be suitable for another tenant, lease, state of repair, etc.

Typically we expect that in three days we will be in a position to put their place on HomeFind [web site] and thereby create a bank of houses there.

Only then would we go back to the member confirming the details they provided, advising them their place is now on HomeFind and then provide them their PIN so they may start looking.”

Mr O’Brien believes there are advantages from this change:

• The number of homes and people looking will be roughly equal.
• Information in the AFRs will be accurate and not require amendment.
• People will know when and where they are going two or three months beforehand so they can find suitable schools, spouse employment and plan holidays.
• Personnel’s move will be as smooth as possible. “It’s a win-win all round,” Mr O’Brien said.
  
  “We’re still nutting out the final details but expect to trial it during the first posting cycle this year.”
  
  This process complements changes DHA made to its web site in September last year.
  
  As soon as personnel have found the property they want on the web site, they can reserve it through their relocation consultant. However, they cannot secure the place until they have submitted the AFR.
  
  “Other people are also looking at the houses, the same as on the commercial market, so get the card in as soon as possible,” Mr O’Brien said.

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Have your say

Remember our story on the Esther Williams trophy last year?

We’d like to keep the Navy updated on her whereabouts each fortnight.

Could the ship or establishment with Esther onboard please drop Navy News a line on navynews@defencenews.gov.au.

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