Briefs

• Pay rise in your pocket
  WRA increase
  
  A 2 per cent pay rise for personnel up to the rank of Rear Admiral came into effect on June 2.
  
  The increase is the third instalment under the ADF Workplace Remuneration Arrangement (WRA) and the Star Ranks Remuneration Arrangement (SRRA).The pay rise applies to all regular and reserve base salary rates, as well as to all salaryrelated allowances, such as service, submarine, field and flying.
  
  The arrangements provide a 10 per cent increase paid in four instalments from March 2004 through to November 2006. The fourth and final instalment of 1.5 per cent is due on March 9, 2006.
  
  The ADF pay and allowance rates can be found at www.defence.gov.au/dpe/pac.
  
  
• Red Cross reaps rewards
  Appealing results
  
  How long does it take to raise nearly $30,000? Ask SQNLDR Lisa MacNaughton. From late January when she had an idea to raise funds for the Red Cross Tsunami appeal, it took one month to raise $26,928.42 in an operation that ran as smoothly as clockwork. On February 1, “Golden Tuesday,” as SQNLDR MacNaughton put it, hundreds of ADF volunteers turned out in droves at Defence establishments in every state armed with collection buckets.
  
  “I couldn’t have done it without the support I had from everyone I engaged,” SQNLDR MacNaughton said.
  
  Even General Peter Cosgrove and the secretary for Defence Mr. Rick Smith got into the action. “CDF and Mr. Smith each stood out there for about half-an-hour on the day collecting,” SQNLDR MacNaughton recalled.

.