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, as well as 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; and
- facilitating veterans’ access to services within the broader community.
Accountability Arrangements
The Chief of Defence Force, as ‘Chief Executive’, is responsible to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs for the financial management of Veterans' Affairs New Zealand under the Public Finance Act 1989. Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is subject to the accountability and monitoring frameworks under that Act.
The New Zealand Defence Force is not a Department of the Public Service under the First Schedule of the State Sector Act 1988 and Veterans' Affairs New Zealand does not come under the auspices of the State Sector Act 1988. Veterans' Affairs New Zealand is not, therefore, subject to the accountability and monitoring frameworks and processes under the State Sector Act 1988.
Primary Legislation
The primary legislation associated with Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is contained in the:
- Patriotic and Canteen Funds Act 1947;
- War Pensions Act 1954;
- Burial and Cremation Act 1964;
- Defence Act 1990; and
- Veterans’ Affairs Act 1999
Links with Government’s Policy and Themes
The Government’s stated intent underpinning policy related to veterans is “Respecting Veterans, Honouring Service.” This is substantiated by the broader principles of:
- Respecting Veterans;
- Strengthening Communities; and
- Dignity for Older New Zealanders.
The services provided to veterans support these principles and are focused on respecting the contribution made by veterans and honouring the service that they have given to the community.
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
The specific initiatives addressed within the Veterans' Affairs New Zealand outcomes for 2008/09 are reported below.
Outcome: Veterans are acknowledged and recognised for their service and sacrifice and the community is aware of the role veterans have played and continue to play in developing New Zealand as a nation.
Support Activity: The management and administration of the commemorations programme.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand administers funding for veterans’ groups to hold reunions and to allow veterans to undertake battlefield revisits. In the 2008/09 year, funding was provided to 41 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 for them. Veterans were funded to travel on the J-Force Veterans Return to Japan, Whiskey 3 trip to Viet nam, 50th anniversary of the 2nd NZ Regiment deployment to Malaya, NZ Korean Veteran’s Association revisit of Korea and the 3rd Div commemoration in New Caledonia.
Funding was also provided to 12 groups to assist with the organisation of New Zealand-based events and reunions.
There were no government sponsored commemorations in the 2008/09 year.
A successful commemoration was held in Gallipoli in April 2009 to commemorate the 94th anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings. Numbers attending the Dawn Service were down to approximately 7,500 from the 2008 figure of 11,000.
The success of this commemoration is largely due to the degree of co-operation between officials from Turkey, New Zealand and Australia.
The 2009 commemoration was seen as a dress rehearsal for the 95th anniversary in 2010.
The programme to provide certificates of appreciation was initially implemented in 2006 for the ‘Year of the Veteran’. This initiative has proven to be a successful means of acknowledging service and has been continued.
Outcome: The development of a five year capital works plan for the maintenance and development of services cemeteries.
This has not been completed. This lead to an underspend in the “Development and Maintenance of Services Cemeteries” Output Expense in the 2008/09 year.
A framework has been developed and work done to spread larger projects across financial years. In the 2009/10 year, after consultation with local authorities, an ongoing process for the long term planning of development and maintenance work in Services Cemeteries will be developed.
Outcome: Working in partnership with the NZDF, the impacts of service on eligible veterans and their dependants are monitored and veterans have information about and access to services and supports that promote wellbeing.
Support Activity: Implementation of the findings of the review of services to veterans.
Two reviews of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand were undertaken in 2006 and 2007. As a result of these reviews the Cabinet agreed that:
- the semi-autonomous body status of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand would be revoked and that Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand would become an operational unit of the New Zealand Defence Force, with the Chief of Defence Force having full accountability and responsibility; and
- full responsibility for War Disablement Pensions would be transferred to Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand and that Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand case managers would be responsible for facilitating access to services for veterans who are in receipt of War Disablement Pensions.
On receipt of the Cabinet decision, a full implementation plan was developed with the objective of making the formal change of responsibility operational from 1 July 2008. Implementation was achieved with the exception of the electronic systems associated with the payment of War Disablement Pensions. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) continued to make War Disablement Pension payments up until 5 August 2008.
In implementing the outcomes of the review, a number of internal reviews of process and service delivery systems have been undertaken to ensure that the systems that are in place are responsive to the needs of veterans. The recommendations of these reviews, where practicable, have been implemented.
As part of the process of integrating the two organisations, training is being provided to staff to ensure that they have knowledge of the services and support available.
Primary level decision making has been reviewed and a comprehensive training manual developed for primary level decision makers. Regular training has been introduced for primary level decision makers. In addition, 10% of the decisions made by the War Pensions Claims Panels are reviewed to ensure consistency of decision making. Any issues identified as a result of this process form part of the claims panels training process.
Outcome: Improve the information provided to veterans, and the way that information is provided, to ensure that the communication mechanisms used are appropriate and reach all veterans.
A dedicated enquiry line has been established. This group has been resourced to deal with all incoming calls. Information sheets and forms are being standardised and new material developed to ensure that veterans are able to access the information they need. Work is also being undertaken to update the Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand website.
The General Manager Veterans’ Affairs/Secretary for War Pensions and other members of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand staff have made presentations at various ex-service group seminars. A regular process of briefing serving personnel has also been developed.
Outcome: The development of registration databases for various veteran cohorts. This will make VANZ aware of the veteran groups in the population and enable VANZ to contact specific groups of veterans to make them aware of services. This will provide the basis for establishing mechanisms for the monitoring of ongoing health and wellbeing issues of various veteran cohorts.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association and Ex Viet Nam Services Association to address the concerns of Viet Nam veterans, Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand has developed a registration database for Viet Nam veterans and their families. This has provided a valuable basis for the development of databases for other veterans groups.
Outcome: 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 has also been included in a number of cross sector working groups and forums.
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.
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