Read this guide, it’s worth it

Flight Lieutenant Jenny Shepherd looks over the new Member's Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions of Service at the official launch in Canberra. Photo by CPL Jonathan Garland

By Susan Oldroyd
THE Member’s Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions 2003-04 has been launched.

The Head of Defence Personnel Executive, Rear Admiral Brian Adams, presented the new edition of the guide to representatives from each service at the launch in Canberra on June 2.

The 2003-2004 edition includes new information on how to apply for your entitlements, the Defence Assisted Study Scheme, Defence choice housing, leaving the ADF and superannuation.

“Everybody needs to know what their pay and conditions are, and we have problems communicating this information … this initiative has proven to be successful,” RADM Adams said.

Quest for the best

IF 50 per cent of Defence’s staff are not women, Defence can’t be getting the best people, according to the Head of Defence Personnel Executive, Rear Admiral Brian Adams. He says this in a Defgram announcing a forum being organised by the Defence Women’s Network (ACT) that will be held in the R1 Theatrette at Russell Offices in Canberra with Secretary for Defence Ric Smith on June 23 from 12.45-1.15pm.

The positive feedback on the first edition has emphasised the importance of such a resource, and the requirement to keep the information up to date and accessible has resulted in the publication of the 2003-2004 edition.

The electronic version of the Member’s Guide will be updated on the Defweb and the Internet at the beginning of each month.

About 3500 feedback forms were received on the first edition of the Member’s Guide, launched in March 2002, and have enabled the new edition to better reflect the information needs of ADF members.

Ninety per cent of respondents rated the Member’s Guide as very good or excellent and 85 per cent said the handbook was easy to understand.

Flight Lieutenant Jenny Shepherd, of DPO, who received her copy of the Member’s Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions of Service 2003-2004 from RADM Adams, not only has to know information about ADF pay and conditions for herself, but for other Air Force members who make inquiries.

“People often ask me for advice on where to go to and it will be a quick reference for me working in career management to help other people out, as well as myself,” FLTLT Shepherd said.

“The Member’s Guide gives a brief outline on all the topics that you might be interested in plus references where you can find out more information.”

The guide will be available soon through shopfronts, orderly rooms, administration units, Defence Community Organisation offices, the Defence Service Centre on 1800 000 677, the Family Information Network for Defence on 1800 020 031, the Defweb at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/dpepay and Internet at www.defence.gov.au/ dpe/dpedet.

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