Setting out home policies

I REFER to the article “Home where the financial hurt is” by the Armed Forces Federation of Australia (Air Force News, June 3).
I would appreciate the opportunity to respond to a number of points made in the article.

ADF home buyers need to be alert to Defence policies regarding housing assistance but should not be alarmed by the ArFFA article.

Mobility is a fact of life for ADF members and it is unreasonable for a member to leave their own house vacant in their losing locality.

While there is a reasonably predictable posting cycle, a variety of factors can drive the need to post a member and impact upon their personal arrangements.

Housing assistance is provided to ADF members on the basis of need. If a member has a suitable own home in the posting locality they are generally not entitled to housing assistance.

There is flexibility to provide housing assistance where a member is posted back to a locality where they have a suitable own home and, having taken all reasonable steps to obtain vacant possession of the home, the member is unable to occupy that home.

This situation is very different from a member who purchases a home in their current posting locality knowing that an existing lease would prevent them from occupying that home. The two situations are treated quite differently because of the free choice of the member in the latter situation.

A member may view purchase of a home in the locality of posting as more desirable than other forms of housing assistance. If this is the case, the reasonable step to take is to avoid purchasing a property that would preclude the member taking vacant possession in the time limit specified in the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual.

Defence does not require a member to occupy a suitable own home. However, if a member chooses not to occupy it, he or she is not eligible for housing assistance.

Members who purchase a suitable own home but are unable to occupy it in the specified time frame can negotiate with DHA to remain in the Service Residence and pay market rent beyond the date when their entitlement to housing assistance ceases. Approval would be subject to whether the house is required for another member.

Defence policy also provides for a removal from a service residence or rent allowance property to the member’s own home or for a removal to store while obtaining vacant possession of their home. The approving authority can approve storage at public expense if satisfied that storage is required for reasons beyond the member’s control.

Adrian Wellspring
Director
Housing and Removals Policy

Gender blunder

I WOULD like to point out a minor error in the article on Page 19 of the June 3 edition of Air Force News.

The article “Team set for New Zealand” states that six air force women basketballers will be touring and later lists those “six” women. The Squadron Leader Kingston-Lee to which you refer is in fact me. Although I am the Assistant Coach for the women’s side, I am in fact very male!

While I am comfortable enough with my sexuality and masculinity to carry this error, I would appreciate a small correction note (just for my own piece of mind).

SQNLDR Tharren Kingston-Lee
SO2 ADMIN
81WG

Editor’s note: Apologies for the mix-up and consider the record corrected.

 

HAVE YOUR SAY
Keep your letters to 250 words.
Include your name, unit (where applicable), location and contact details.
Send letters to:
raafnews@defencenews.gov.au
(This is not part of the Defence Restricted Network, so include “Sec: Unclassified” in the subject field if sending on the DRN).
Letters to the Editor, Air Force News, R8-LG-042, Russell Offices, ACT 2600
Letters might be edited for reasons of space, spelling or grammar.
Where appropriate, responses will be sought through official channels.

.