NOTICE OF INVESTIGATION – MULTIPLE CONDITIONS – INSTRUMENTS SUNSETTING ON 1 October 2027
Section 196G of the
Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
The Repatriation Medical Authority (the Authority) gives notice under section 196G of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (the VEA) that it intends to carry out investigations under subsection 196B(7) of the VEA to review the contents of Statements of Principles concerning the following:
Condition: | Instrument Nos: |
accommodation disorder | 38 & 39 of 2017 |
alcohol use disorder | 48 & 49 of 2017 |
benign paroxysmal positional vertigo | 56 & 57 of 2017 |
bronchiectasis | 30 & 31 of 2017 |
cardiac myxoma | 32 & 33 of 2017 |
femoroacetabular impingement syndrome | 42 & 43 of 2017 |
immersion pulmonary oedema | 34 & 35 of 2017 |
influenza | 44 & 45 of 2017 |
labral tear | 36 & 37 of 2017 |
malaria | 46 & 47 of 2017 |
popliteal entrapment syndrome | 54 & 55 of 2017 |
rheumatoid arthritis | 50 & 51 of 2017 |
sickle-cell disorder | 40 & 41 of 2017 |
thromboangiitis obliterans | 28 & 29 of 2017 |
tooth wear | 52 & 53 of 2017 |
The Authority invites the following persons and organisations to make written submissions to the Authority in respect of any of the investigations:
a person eligible to make a claim for pension under Part II or Part IV of the VEA;
a person eligible to make a claim for compensation under section 319 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (the MRCA);
an organisation representing veterans, Australian mariners, members of the Forces, members of the Peacekeeping Forces, members within the meaning of the MRCA, or their dependants;
the Repatriation Commission or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission; and
a person having expertise in a field relevant to the investigation.
The Authority will hold its first meeting for the purposes of each of these investigations on 5 August 2025.
Under the VEA, the Authority is required to find out whether there is new information available about how the above listed conditions may be suffered or contracted, or death from the above listed conditions may occur; and the extent to which the above listed conditions or death from the above listed conditions may be war-caused, defence-caused, a service injury, a service disease or a service death.
Persons and organisations wishing to make a submission can use the RMA website http://www.rma.gov.au/investigations/ to electronically lodge the submission and supporting information. Alternatively, submissions can be sent by email to info@rma.gov.au or posted to the address below. The RMA Submission Guidelines are available online for guidance. The RMA Secretariat may be contacted at the address, telephone number or email address below for further assistance.
All submissions must be in writing and received by the Authority no later than 15 July 2025.
Professor Terence Campbell AM
Chairperson
by and on behalf of
The Repatriation Medical Authority
15 April 2025.
Repatriation Medical Authority
GPO Box 1014, Brisbane, Qld 4001
Telephone: (07) 3815 9404 Email: info@rma.gov.au
Overview
The Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, governs the entitlements and benefits available to veterans and their families. This Act was introduced to address the need for a comprehensive framework to support individuals who have served in the Australian Defence Force and their dependents. One of its key objectives is to ensure that veterans who have suffered conditions or diseases as a result of their service are properly compensated. To this end, the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA), under section 196G of the VEA, has initiated investigations into multiple conditions listed in various instruments from 2017 to ascertain the latest information regarding their war-related causation and to determine the extent of their eligibility under the VEA. The RMA invites relevant stakeholders, including veterans, their representatives, and experts, to submit written evidence by 15 July 2025, to aid in these investigations. The first meeting to discuss these investigations is scheduled for 5 August 2025.
Scope and Application
The Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA) under section 196G of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) intends to conduct investigations into various conditions related to military service, specifically focusing on the contents of Statements of Principles concerning multiple conditions including accommodation disorder, alcohol use disorder, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, bronchiectasis, cardiac myxoma, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, immersion pulmonary oedema, influenza, labral tear, malaria, popliteal entrapment syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, sickle-cell disorder, thromboangiitis obliterans, and tooth wear. These investigations aim to assess new information about the conditions, their potential war or defence-related causes, and their classification as service injuries or diseases. The scope of this notice extends to any person eligible to make a claim for pension under the VEA or compensation under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, organisations representing veterans or their dependants, the Repatriation Commission or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, and experts relevant to the investigations. Submissions can be made electronically via the RMA website or by email or post, with a deadline of 15 July 2025. The investigations are part of the VEA's mandate to ensure that veterans' entitlements are accurately and comprehensively assessed.
Key Provisions
The Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) mandates that the Repatriation Medical Authority (the Authority) must investigate certain medical conditions to determine if there is new information about how these conditions may be suffered, contracted, or if death from these conditions may occur, as well as the extent to which these conditions or deaths may be attributable to war or service. Section 196G of the VEA specifies that the Authority has given notice of its intention to carry out these investigations under subsection 196B(7) for a list of specified conditions (Section 196G). These conditions include accommodation disorder, alcohol use disorder, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and several others, with specific instruments listed for each condition (Section 196G).
The Authority is obligated to review the contents of Statements of Principles concerning the specified conditions, with the aim of identifying any new information that may affect the eligibility of veterans for pensions or compensation under the VEA or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) (Section 196B(7)). The Authority invites submissions from eligible claimants, organisations representing veterans or their dependants, the Repatriation Commission or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, and experts in relevant fields. These submissions must be made in writing and received by 15 July 2025 (Section 196G). The RMA website provides a means for electronic submission of these documents, and alternative methods such as email or postal mail are also available, with guidelines for submissions accessible online (Section 196G).
Any breach of the requirements to provide submissions by the specified deadline may result in the Authority disregarding the late submission. There are no explicit penalties stated in the legislation for failing to submit within the required timeframe. However, the outcome of the investigations may affect the eligibility of claimants for pensions or compensation, potentially leading to denial or reduction of benefits if the investigations result in changes to the Statements of Principles (Section 196B(7)). Furthermore, failure to comply with the statutory requirements for the investigation could potentially lead to legal challenges regarding the validity of the investigation process or its outcomes.