Get moving on forms

By CPL Cameron Jamieson

ABOUT 3000 people still have not lodged their Application For Relocation (AFR) form, which means the married quarters they are vacating are not available for viewing by other people being posted.

It is only when the AFR has been returned to DHA that the house can be made available for viewing on the Home Find web site.

DHA National Operations Manager Kevin O’Brien said the late submission of AFRs created a range of problems for personnel.

“Spouses need to find jobs, children have to be booked into schools and school uniforms have to be arranged,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Removals affect all branches of the ADF because housing is allocated on rank entitlement, so everyone needs to get their AFRs in now, otherwise they’re just hurting their mates.”

The percentage of people making a door-to-door move has risen from less than 3 per cent in 1993 to more than 70 per cent this year.

Door-to-door removals remove much of the worry and uncertainty of finding a home in the new posting locality, and minimise the amount of time spent in temporary accommodation.

Mr O’Brien said Home Find was one of the key tools that helped make door-to-door removals possible, but it could only work if people submitted their AFRs as quickly as possible.

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