Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is the Government’s principal adviser on veterans’ issues. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is responsible for providing advice on, and facilitating the delivery of, a range of services to individual veterans and their families, in recognition of the needs generated as a result of the veteran’s service. To achieve this intent, Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of services.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand does this by:
- Providing advice to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs and other Ministers and departments and agencies on aspects of policy relating to veterans.
- Managing the government’s relationship with veterans and their representative organisations.
- Ensuring that the assessment of veterans’ entitlements is undertaken fairly and accurately.
- Facilitating and co-ordinating the services provided to veterans and their families by other government departments and agencies.
The Veterans’ Affairs portfolio comprises two appropriations under one Vote:
- Vote Veterans’ Affairs – Defence. This vote is administered by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand and includes the provision of policy advice on, and administration of, a wide range of issues relating to veteran entitlements care and recognition.
- Vote Veterans’ Affairs – Social Development. This vote is administered by the Ministry of Social Development, and includes the processing and payment of War Disablement and Veterans’ Pensions and concessions, and Rehabilitation Loan Scheme payments. This vote will be covered in the Ministry of Social Development Annual Report to Parliament.
Accountability Arrangements
The Chief of Defence Force, as Chief Executive of the New Zealand Defence Force, is responsible to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs for the financial management of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand under the Public Finance Act 1989. The Director, Veterans’ Affairs, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Force, is responsible to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs for the delivery of the Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand outcomes and outputs.
As a semi-autonomous body within the New Zealand Defence Force, Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is subject to the accountability and monitoring provisions of the Public Finance Act 1989 but does not come under the auspices of the State Sector Act 1988.
Primary Legislation
The primary legislation associated with Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is contained in:
- The War Pensions Act 1954
- The Burial and Cremation Act 1954
- The Patriotic and Canteen Funds Act 1947
- The Veterans’ Affairs Act 1999
- The Defence Act 1990
Links with the Government’s Policy and Themes
The provision of specific services to veterans, in recognition of their contribution to the development of New Zealand’s national identity, contributes to Government Theme 3: “National Identity”.
The provision of policy advice on veterans’ related issues, the co-ordination of the services provided to veterans and their families by other government departments and agencies, facilitating access to services within the broader community and the development of constructive working relationships with veterans’ organisations, contributes to Government Theme 2: “Families – young and old”.
The work undertaken by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand contributes to achieving the following outcomes for veterans:
- The veterans’ perspective is considered as part of government decision-making on issues that impact on their lives.
- Eligible veterans and their dependants have access to the appropriate services in recognition of their Service.
- The community will be aware of the role veterans played and continue to play in developing New Zealand as a nation.
Contracts for Service
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand maintains a number of contracts for the manufacture and installation of plaques and headstones, the maintenance and development of Services Cemeteries throughout New Zealand, and the provision of services under the auspices of case management.
Outcomes: Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand
The specific initiatives addressed within the Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand outcomes for 2006/2007 are reported below.
The veterans’ perspective is considered as part of government decision – making on issues that impact on their lives.
The veteran community is diverse and has a broad range of issues that cross the boundaries of a number of agencies. It is critical therefore, that Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is able to work effectively with other state sector agencies to ensure that issues that are of concern to veterans can be pursued and that there is consultation on issues that may impact on the veteran community.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is included in the Ministry of Health’s consultation process on the health of the elderly and the sustainability of disability support services. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is also a member of the organochlorines monitoring group.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand has also been included in a number of cross sector working groups and forums.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand has worked closely with the Ministry of Social Development over the changes to National Superannuation to meet the requirements of the Confidence and Supply Agreement with New Zealand First.
Work has been undertaken with the Ministry of Social Development over the introduction of the veterans’ version of the SuperGold Card. A veterans’ version of the SuperGold Card will be released in late August 2007. Work has been done to ensure that as many veterans as possible receive this card in the first mail out.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand works closely with and is actively involved in a collaborative grouping of Veterans’ Affairs agencies from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and United States of America. This forum provides a number of opportunities to share information and current practices.
Eligible veterans and their dependants have access to the appropriate services in recognition of their Service.
A major piece of work is the rewrite of the War Pensions Act 1954. Considerable amount of thought and discussion has taken place to establish the best way to move forward with this work. As a result, work has been undertaken to draft a Cabinet paper with a strategy that will serve as the vehicle for formal consultation on the proposed intent and coverage of the revised war pensions legislation.
The Secretary for War Pensions reviews 10% of the decisions made by the War Pensions Claims Panels to ensure consistency of decision making. Any issues identified as a result of this process are addressed by the Secretary and form part of the claims panels training process. Any veteran with any query relating to a War Disablement or Veterans’ Pension can raise the query with the Secretary for War Pensions.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is continually reviewing the way it provides information to the veteran community and to other agencies that provide support and assistance to veterans in their communities.
The Director Veterans’ Affairs/Secretary for War Pensions continues to attend meetings of welfare officers from various veterans’ organisations and takes part in various RSA regional training and information seminars outlining the services available to veterans.
The Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand case managers and memorials and cemeteries staff work closely with local representatives of ex-Service and veterans’ organisations.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand staff provided an information stand at the RNZRSA Annual Council Meeting so that Welfare Officers were made aware of the services available and at an Ageing in New Zealand Conference run by the Ministry of Social Development.
Work has been undertaken to identify the areas where there are delays in the processing of war pensions. The aim of this project is to identify controllable time where time savings can be made. The main focus is on a reduction in the time veterans wait for claims to be processed. The schedules for the war pensions claims panels have also been amended to ensure that there are sufficient claims panel meetings to hear the claims that are awaiting resolution. Administrative changes have been made to the way claims are sent to a medical specialist for assessment, reducing the amount of time between claims being received and medical opinions being sought.
The operational policy surrounding Services Cemeteries is being reviewed constantly to ensure that it accurately reflects the intent of the legislation. Work has been undertaken to redesign the memorials and cemeteries database to allow for more effective management of orders and special requirements, such as unveilings and other special events. Once implemented, the new database will allow for direct ordering from the manufacturer, reducing the manufacturing time and data entry errors.
In December the Government signed an MOU with the RNZRSA and EVSA to address the concerns of Viet Nam veterans. This has involved VANZ in the:
- Development of a registration process for Viet Nam veterans and their families.
- Implementation of the payment of ex-gratia payments to veterans and their family members who have specified conditions.
- Development of a structure for the one-off comprehensive medical check.
- Development of Centres of Excellence in Veterans Homes.
- Development of a suitable mechanism for providing information to clinicians on the health conditions suffered by Viet Nam veterans and their families.
- Review of the services provided to the children and grandchildren of Viet Nam veterans by other governments.
- Identification of options for on-going research into the effects of exposure to dioxins and other similar hazardous substances, including intergenerational effects.
The registration of Viet Nam veterans and their families has commenced. A process for registration was developed in conjunction with the veterans groups. Data is being collected from the registration forms to formulate a statistical picture.
Ex-gratia payments have been made to veterans and their families.
Work has been done on the implementation of the one-off comprehensive medical check. This work is being undertaken in consultation with the veterans’ groups over the implementation of this work.
The community will be aware of the role veterans played and continue to play in developing New Zealand as a nation.
A commemoration was held in Gallipoli in April 2007 to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand co-ordinated and provided support for 32 veterans who travelled to London for the official dedication of the New Zealand Memorial on 11 November 2006.
In addition, Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand administers funding for veterans’ groups to hold reunions and to allow veterans to undertake battlefield revisits. In the 2006/07 year, funding was provided to 96 veterans to assist them to travel overseas to attend commemorations of events or reunions of the units of which they were a part, and which had special significance to them. Veterans were funded to travel to commemorations marking the Battle of Long Tan, the Korean War, the 50th anniversary of ‘Merdeka’ – the independence of the Federated States of Malaya and the State of Singapore from Britain.
Funding has also been provided to nine groups to assist with the organisation of New Zealand based events and reunions.
The Year of the Veteran
The government declared 2006 as the ‘Year of the Veteran’. This was a major focus of the commemorations programme as it provided opportunities for all veterans to be acknowledged and recognised by their communities.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand’s role in the ‘Year of the Veteran’ included the management and administration of a one million dollar contestable community grants fund, the administration of applications for and distribution of veterans lapel pins and certificates acknowledging veterans’ service, and the promotion of the ‘Year of the Veteran’.
The Year of the Veteran community grants fund has enabled communities and schools to seek and receive funding for projects that focus on the recognition of the role veterans have in the community and to commemorate significant military anniversaries. Funding was granted to support over 347 community based projects. These included oral and written histories, restoration and building of war memorials, exhibitions and educational displays and local veterans ‘appreciation days’ to acknowledge veterans within their communities. An additional $200,000 was also provided for National Events.
20,000 certificates of appreciation and commemorative pins were issued to veterans. This has proven to be such a popular programme that it will be continued.
The Minister of Veterans’ Affairs presented 10 commendations and 33 certificates of commendation to individuals nominated for their role in Veteran Welfare. The three Veterans’ Homes, Ranfurly, Rannerdale and Montecillo were also given commendations, as was the Dunedin RSA Choir.
Passchendaele Archives Project
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand has assisted with the establishment of the ‘Passchendaele Archives’. This project was initiated in 2005 by the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, with the aim of building a database of all soldiers killed in action during the Battle of Passchendaele. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand, in conjunction with Archives New Zealand, has provided digital copies of the casualty forms held for the New Zealand servicemen killed during the Battle of Passchendaele. These forms will be presented to the Museum for use in the ‘Passchendaele Archive’.
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