List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.44

The committee recommends that the term ‘veterans’ sport’ should be adopted to describe the spectrum of activities from adaptive sports—where modifications of equipment or rules are required to allow veterans with physical injuries to participate—to activities designed to facilitate the inclusion of veterans in community-based sporting clubs as part of transition or rehabilitation from mental health impacts of service.

Recommendation 2

2.45

The committee recommends that the focus of veterans’ sports should be on rehabilitation and supporting transition from service for any veteran who wishes to participate, with facilitation of teams for competitive events being an adjunct for the small number of veterans who wish to try out for selection. Government, sporting organisations and codes, and the veteran community should take an active role in supporting this focus.

Recommendation 3

2.60

The committee recommends that the criteria underpinning selection of staff for management or coaching roles in events such as the Invictus Games should require—in addition to sporting or management qualifications directly relevant to the role—a commitment and demonstrated capability to ensure veteran rehabilitation as a priority.

Recommendation 4

3.27

The committee recommends that the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs align policies to jointly support the Joint Transition Authority to facilitate veterans’ sports programs that support transition from service into civilian life.

Recommendation 5

3.28

The committee recommends that the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs assess the benefit of directing some existing funding for rehabilitation programs for veterans (including those still serving) to structured programs such as the Invictus Pathways Program where sport is used as a vehicle to provide physical and mental support to veterans, and making such programs more accessible to veterans across Australia.

Recommendation 6

4.22

The committee recommends that Department of Veterans’ Affairs grant guidelines should be amended to accommodate programs that are specifically targeted at veteran participation in community-based veterans’ sport.

Recommendation 7

4.23

The committee recommends that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs include in its resourcing advice, as per Recommendation 4 in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide’s Interim Report, to the Australian Government the necessary funding to adequately support community-based veterans sport programs.

Recommendation 8

4.24

The committee recommends that future Commonwealth funding for veterans’ sport to organisations that are not community-based sporting clubs should include conditions regarding a minimum amount that must be “flowed through” to help sustain the delivery of programs at the community level.

Recommendation 9

4.25

The committee recommends the Department of Defence consider making Reserve days available to the Senior Australian Defence Force Officer in each state or region to engage local veterans—already active in veterans’ sports—to facilitate increased community-based sporting clubs engagement with local ADF units and ex-service organisations as well as support with administration such as grant applications.

Recommendation 10

4.30

The committee recommends that the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs assess the feasibility of providing a voucher system to encourage and support veterans access to veterans’ sports as part of their transition, and where appropriate, gain relevant vocational qualifications.

Recommendation 11

4.45

The committee recommends that the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs work with veteran’s sports stakeholders to design the package of reform that will deliver recommendations 1-10 of this report.

Recommendation 12

5.22

The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider a recommendation to the Governor-General to declare the 2014, 2016, and 2017 Invictus Games as nominated multi-sport events under the Regulations.

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