Accommodate single members
From the Federation - Graham Howatt

First and foremost on the Federation’s agenda this year is a plea to fast track improved accommodation arrangements for single members of the ADF, or as they are more affectionately known, Members Without Dependents (MWOD).

These members have ranked second in regard to accommodation for a long time and this must not be allowed to continue.

Federation officials met with Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Dana Vale on March 4. The following summary is what we put to the Minister.

Only 5 per cent of on-base accommodation is at the (preferred) level 5 standard.

The bulk of on-base accommodation is deplorable and in poor state of repair. It seems to the Federation that Defence Estate and CSIG are failing to effectively manage MWOD rental contributions against improved accommodation or maintenance of already well below standard (barracks) accommodation. Where does the money go?

MWODs make up around 50 per cent of ADF personnel and have been discriminated against in regard to the provision of acceptable accommodation arrangements for far too long. There has never been a better time for the Government to be proactive in correcting this injustice.

There is a perception that MWODs are funding the needs of the MWDs. A pool of accommodation funds managed by the proven performer (DHA) will overcome this and put the money back to where it belongs – high-quality accommodation for all ADF personnel rather than having it held in consolidated revenue or wherever else it goes.

The Service Offices seem to be procrastinating over identifying their on-base living-in accommodation requirements.
This is causing unacceptable delays in providing improved accommodation for MWODs.

Meantime, the MWOD Rental Allowance option for members who have served more than five years is doing little to overcome accommodation inequities or improve retention rates. The take up rate is well below expectation (7000 from an expected 10,000) and one of the reasons for this is that commercial providers do not understand, or provide for, the unique requirements of ADF personnel. In particular, storage and security requirements. Commercial rent is expensive, with no real guarantee of tenancy.

Further, why should MWOD have to endure five years of below standard barracks accommodation and wait five years before they can have some degree of equity with their married counterparts? If there has to be some form of qualifying period applied to RA for single personnel, it should be no more than two years.

The solution is to provide a mix of purpose-built, high-quality (two-bedroom etc) off-base and on-base accommodation. This needs to be advanced without further delay.

DHA is the Federation’s preferred provider. It understands the needs of ADF personnel and is a proven performer in regard to quality of accommodation for MWD and financial return to the government.

We understand that DHA is ready, willing and able to proceed.

Note: Don’t think the Federation does not have an interest in accommodation for MWDs. This is already on our drawing board, beginning last year with the Federation providing a representative on the Joint Working Group (JWG) that is examining ADF housing policy for the future. Recommendations and outcomes of the JWG will be subjected to ADF committee processes before any change is expected but should not impede the progress of improved accommodation for MWODs.

Official response:
It is true that a lot of Living-In Accommodation is not of the quality we would like for our people. Providing good standards of accommodation is a big job that will unfortunately take time.

Meantime, Defence has tried to improve conditions for MWODs; for example, offering a Rental Allowance for MWODs who have served five years or more.

The offer has proven popular, however there are a number of good reasons that the take up rate of the 2001 RA initiative is less than predicted. These include:

• Substantial numbers of MWOD are absent from Australia on deployments;
• Members may be less inclined to go on RA with the increased operational tempo and the consequential probability of deployment; and
• The impact of the Home Purchase Assistance Scheme, which about 2500 single members have accessed.
  
  A possibility of lowering the five-year threshold is being considered.
  
  As a follow up to the 2001 initiative, the Members Without Dependents Future Accommodation Arrangements Project was established. Phase One of the project is to determine the long-term MWOD accommodation requirement for the services from both an infrastructure and a personnel perspective.
  
  Work is well advanced to propose to Government a long-term strategy for the future provision of MWOD accommodation by July. The strategy will include a review of current living-in policy, including LIA entitlements for those members not required to live in, and innovative accommodation solutions. As the proposed long-term strategy would take some time to be implemented, it is possible that the Government will also examine other shorter-term measures.
  
  DHA has performed well by any measure as the provider of accommodation for members with dependents. Following a $1 billion injection from the Government about a decade ago, DHA has taken the sub-standard housing stock it inherited from Defence in the late 1980s to the community standard of today. DHA, and perhaps other organisations, might also be able to perform well in providing accommodation for MWODs.
  
  RADM Brian Adams
  Head, DPE

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