Our Patron
Commander 3rd Brigade, Brigadier David McCammon DSM and Bar
Homebase for the Veteran Community in Townsville
1 Staging Camp Ave, Oonoonba. Drop-in M-F 0900-1500, after hours upon booking
All closed on W/E and public holidays, unless booked.
[for GPS apps you may have better luck with 20 Darter Street, Oonoonba until actual is recognised on all platforms]
Issues for Townsville's
Veteran Community
Providers ceasing to offer DVA service
There have been a few providers of service that have withdrawn from serving DVA clients in recent times. So the pool is shrinking. The reasons given are that payment by DVA is slow and affects cashflow. They are seeking to engage more with NDIS (Social Services) and My Aged Care (Health and Aged Care) as a preference.
Urgency:
High
Difficulty changing rehabilitation coordinators once assigned.
Numerous occasions occur when veterans find they are not comfortable with their assigned rehabilitation coordinator and would like to change. This is a vital role for a recovering veteran, and the fit needs to be right.
DVA Webpage on Role of the Rehab Coordinator
Urgency:
High
The number of physiotherapists who were available for referral is declining.
We have had a good pool of physiotherapists to whom we refer veterans, and some have been withdrawing their service. When asked, they state that they can't sustain their business on the current funding model and feel they can't do their job for veterans with complex conditions.
Urgency:
High
There is a risk the 3 year legal aid support for veterans will not be renewed by the Queensland Government
The Queensland Government has been running a trial for veterans and families for three years and it is due to end on 30 Jun 2024. No one seems to know whether it is to be extended or permanently established or discontinuted.
Urgency:
Medium
There is a lack of financial support/advice for veterans being awarded large sums of money for payouts and some are making big mistakes in handling the money.
We've seen some veterans awarded large sums with little or no financial advice to best manage it for the long term. Some have made poor decisions and find themselves in more trouble financially.
Urgency:
Low
Many ESOs can not seem to get access to BEST funding without compensation advocates which diminishes the wellbeing mission.
Many ESOs in Townsville support veterans and families but do not have compensation advocates, making securing BEST grants difficult. For BEST grants, there seems to be a bias toward compensation advocates (who support individual veteran's claims) over wellbeing advocates who support many more in a broader range of functions.