Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025

Administered by Department of Defence

Legislation au F2025L00658 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025

This Determination amends Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of service (the Principal Determination), made under section 58B of the Defence Act 1903 and in accordance with subsection 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (AI Act).

Determinations made under section 58B of the Defence Act are disallowable legislative instruments subject to the Legislation Act 2003. These instruments are also subject to the interpretation principles in the AI Act.

Purpose

The purpose of this Determination is to re-credit a member’s leave credits when they are required to take leave in connection with travel between Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland due to circumstances affecting the ability to travel by air.

Operational details

Details of the operation of the Determination are provided at annex A.

Incorporation by reference

The Determination makes references to sections of the Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of service. This Instrument is incorporated into this Determination as in force from time to time.

Retrospective application

The retrospective application of this Determination does not affect the rights of a person (other than the Commonwealth) in a manner prejudicial to that person, nor does it impose any liability on such person.

Human rights compatibility

The statement of compatibility under subsection 9(1) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 for this Determination is at annex B.

Review options

Decisions that are made under the Principal Determination, as amended by this Determination, may be subject to inquiry under the ADF redress of grievance system provided under Part 7 of the Defence Regulation. Also, a person may make a complaint to the Defence Force Ombudsman.

Consultation

Before this Determination was made, the consultation was undertaken with Directorate of Attaché and Overseas Management and Military Personnel Branch.

The rule maker was satisfied that further consultation was not required.

 

Approved by:

Sarah Kate McGregor

Acting Director General

People Policy and Employment Conditions

 

Authority:

Section 58B of the
Defence Act 1903

 


Annex A

Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025

Operational details

Section 1 of this Determination sets out the manner in which this Determination may be cited.

Section 2 provides that the Determination commences on the day after the instrument is registered.

Section 3 provides that this instrument has authority under section 58B of the Defence Act.

Section 4 provides the purpose of the Determination which is to re-credit a member’s leave credits when they are required to take leave in connection with travel between Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland due to circumstances affecting the ability to travel by air.

Section 5 provides that the Determination applies to the member who holds employee identification number 8265858.

Section 6 defines the following terms for the purpose of the Determination:

  • Defence Determination, which means Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of service, as in force from time to time.
  • Posting location, which means Kyiv, Ukraine.
  • Decision maker, which means the Director Attaché and Overseas Management.
  • Posting period, which means the period starting the on commencement day of this Determination commences and ending on 1 April 2026.
  • Travel, which means any travel undertaken by the member that is in connection with a benefit provided under the Defence Determination. A note has been included to clarify that a benefit provided includes a reimbursement for the cost of travel.

Section 7 provides that the member is to be re-credited any leave credits that are taken on a day they are undertaking travel to or from the posting location and Warsaw, Poland during the posting period and the decision maker is satisfied that either there is an air space closure that is affecting travel to or from the posting location and Warsaw, Poland, or that that travel by air is unsafe between the posting location and Warsaw, Poland.

Section 8 provides when the Determination is revoked.

 

 

Annex B

Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

Overview of the Determination

The purpose of this Determination is to re-credit a member’s leave credits when they are required to take leave in connection with travel between Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland due to circumstances affecting the ability to travel by air.

Human rights implications

Right to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work

The protection of a person's right to remuneration engages Article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Article 7 ensures just and favourable conditions of work, including remuneration, safe and healthy conditions, equal opportunity and reasonable limitations.

Assessment of compatibility

Schedule 1 is compatible with human rights as it promotes the member’s right to the enjoyment of just and favourable work conditions by ensuring the member does not have their leave credit balance reduced in circumstances when they are unable to travel by air due to reasons that are beyond their control, resulting in them needing to use alternate modes of transport and significantly longer travel times.

Conclusion

This Determination is compatible with human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

 

Overview

The Defence (Individual Benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025, enacted under section 58B of the Defence Act 1903, aims to address the specific issue of re-crediting leave credits for Defence members who are required to undertake travel between Kyiv, Ukraine, and Warsaw, Poland under circumstances that make air travel unsafe or impossible. This determination was introduced to ensure that Defence personnel are not disadvantaged due to unforeseen disruptions in air travel, thereby upholding their right to fair working conditions. The enactment of this Determination by the Australian Parliament seeks to maintain the integrity and operational effectiveness of Defence personnel, ensuring that they are not penalised for circumstances beyond their control. The policy objective is clearly articulated as the re-crediting of leave credits to support Defence members during challenging travel conditions, reflecting a commitment to the welfare and operational readiness of the Defence Force.

Scope and Application

The Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025 amends the Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of service, under the Defence Act 1903 and the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. It applies specifically to a Defence member holding employee identification number 8265858, who is required to undertake travel between Kyiv, Ukraine, and Warsaw, Poland under circumstances where air travel is unsafe or air space closures affect their ability to travel. This Determination aims to re-credit leave credits for the affected member when they must take leave for such travel during a specified posting period starting from the day after the instrument is registered and ending on 1 April 2026. The decision-maker for this Determination is the Director Attaché and Overseas Management, and the instrument ensures compatibility with human rights, particularly the right to just and favourable conditions of work, by not reducing leave credits under the specified circumstances. This instrument does not impose any liability on persons other than the Commonwealth and does not prejudicially affect their rights. The retrospective application of this Determination also does not adversely impact any person’s rights.

Key Provisions

The Defence (Individual benefits) Determination (No. 8) 2025 amends Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of service (Principal Determination) under section 58B of the Defence Act 1903. This Determination specifically addresses the re-crediting of leave credits for a member required to travel between Kyiv, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland due to circumstances affecting air travel. The primary section in this context is section 4, which states the purpose of the Determination, and section 7, which outlines the conditions under which a member's leave credits are to be re-credited. The leave credits are to be re-credited on the days when the member undertakes travel related to the posting location during the specified posting period if there is an airspace closure affecting travel or if travel by air is deemed unsafe. The Determination imposes certain obligations on the relevant parties, primarily ensuring that the member’s leave credits are not reduced due to circumstances beyond their control, such as airspace closures or unsafe air travel conditions. The decision maker, identified as the Director of Attaché and Overseas Management, must be satisfied that either an airspace closure is affecting travel or that air travel is unsafe. Additionally, the member must be undertaking travel related to the posting location during the defined posting period to qualify for the re-crediting of leave credits. Breach of the provisions within this Determination could lead to legal consequences, though the specific offences, penalties, or consequences are not explicitly detailed in the provided text. Given that the Determination is a disallowable legislative instrument, any failure to comply with its provisions could potentially be subject to legal scrutiny or challenge. The maximum penalties for breaches are not stated within the explanatory statement, but under the general legislative framework, penalties for non-compliance with Defence Act provisions could include fines or other sanctions as deemed appropriate by the relevant authorities.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.