About Our Veteran Community
Learn how we strengthen veteran well-being through advocacy, connection, and local support.
Who We Are
Veteran of Australia is a registered charity, run by dedicated volunteers to support all veterans and their families.
Our Advocacy Services
We provide professional services delivered by our qualified volunteer advocates, who adhere to the recognised Service Standards for Advocacy.
We offer free compensation and well-being advocacy.
Community & Social Activities
We believe that connection is just as important as support. Members themselves decide on the activities and events that matter most to them. From target shooting to a wide range of other engaging pursuits, there is something for everyone. These activities foster camaraderie, well-being, and the enduring bonds that are so important to veteran life.
Fundraising
VOA receives minimal funding from DVA. Our main fundraising is from raffles and BBQs. We're always looking for volunteers to assist at our fundraising events, such as raffles at the Torquay pub Friday nights 4:00pm - 6:00pm and Bunnings Sausage Sizzle throughout the year.
Every dollar raised goes directly towards supporting our veterans, their families, and the programs and services we provide.
Strategic Plan 2026
This strategic plan is how we at Veterans of Australia can approach the challenges ahead of us, from fund raising, enticing more volunteers to join VoA, how to engage more with our members, how to include other groups in our vision, and how to include younger veterans to be part of the VoA legacy.
A Strategic plan is a flexible document that requires constant adjustment to cater for change in circumstances and objectives.
Our Vision is to communicate effectively with our members, volunteers and Management Committee to meet the veteran community needs. VOA strives to be a leading service provider committed to making our venue a safe, healthy, and happy workplace.
Our mission is to ensure that we provide care, compensation, commemoration and the well-being of serving and ex-service Defense Force members and their dependents.
Are to maintain a high degree of ethics, integrity, honesty, and professionalism in dealing with members, clients, guests, visitors, employees, and other volunteers. Maintain the confidentiality of clients and the organization’s operation.
Our focus will be on the following:
- Management Committee Responsibilities
- Welfare of our Members/Clients with support from our Compensation and Wellbeing Advocates, and Wellbeing Assistants.
- Member Engagement and Retention
- Retaining Volunteers
- Young Veterans
- Fund Raising
- Inclusion of other groups and or organizations within a community.
- Safety
The management committee is ultimately responsible to the members for the operation of the incorporated association. Previous training and qualifications for each position are preferred, but sometimes difficult to achieve in a volunteer organization.
Management Committee Actions:
- Comply with the law, requirements of the Office of Fair Trading, Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC), Australian Taxation Office Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) requirements, and the rules of our incorporated association.
- Conduct General meetings and AGMs and encourage members to be involved and have a say concerning our direction and objectives.
- When holding general meetings, the executives shall introduce themselves to all members, explain their experiences and their actual mandated responsibilities and any additional duties they have taken on.
- It’s important to communicate with members the role of the management committee, its responsibilities and obligation to abide by the law and our constitution.
- Where needed, identify training courses to lift the profile of persons on the management committee with the aim of improving confidence, speaking skills, and leadership.
- Engage with members that have suitable skills to fill a position on the management committee.
- If suitably trained or skilled people are not available to fill specific positions, the management committee needs to identify people who would be happy to be trained either while filling the position or prior to applying for the position.
Advocates:
Ensure we have sufficient advocates to meet the requirements of our veterans. Advocates must be provided with the tools to provide the highest level of service for our veterans.
The Advocacy Development and Training program offers nationally accredited training in military advocacy (ATDP) both in compensation and wellbeing matters. They also offer mentorship training so advocates can support advocates in training. It is the only accepted training program recognized by DVA.
Definition of Advocates as per DVA and ATDP Guide to Advocacy Aug 2024.
Compensation Advocate:
Compensation Advocates assist veterans and their families with rehabilitation and compensation claims, Veterans Review Board or Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Compensation Advocates lodge claims under VETS Act 2026
Wellbeing Advocate:
Wellbeing Advocates assists veterans and their families to connect with government and community-based services and support. This can include information and /referral for health, rehabilitation, housing, transport, household assistance, education schemes and information about government services for transitioning from the military to civilian life. Provides information on medical.
Wellbeing Assistant:
Wellbeing Assistants assist veterans and their families under the direction of the wellbeing advocate. This can include but not limited to home, hospital, nursing home visits, transporting of veterans, housing and accommodation matters and funeral/bereavement attendance.
All members, volunteers, and management committee members are expected to familiarize themselves with the workplace and take reasonable steps to ensure their health, safety and welfare in the workplace, as well as that of others.
- Hold meetings with members to discuss any future direction and proposed projects of significance. And take on board suggestions from members that may assist with our objectives.
- Encourage members to become actively involved in our VOA Band or to take on duties such as Duty Officer, Fundraising Coordinator or Social Coordinator.
- Make members aware of who to go to if they have needs whether it’s welfare, advocacy, or they just want to have a chat about matters within VOA.
- Advertise on radio stations like Wide Bay FM 107.5 and River Heads FM
Volunteer Retention:
- The most critical part of any volunteer organization is its work force and its volunteers. It’s important to keep volunteers informed and involved.
- Existing volunteers and new volunteers need to have a feeling of purpose and wellbeing.
- The strategy needs to be one of inclusiveness and providing appreciation of their contribution.
- We need to always be considerate of volunteer’s fragilities, by communicating and asking how and what we can do to make their volunteer work enjoyable and appreciated.
- Need to maintain an annual appreciation night where our Volunteers are thanked and celebrated.
Volunteers Training:
- All volunteers need to be trained in workplace health and safety (WH&S)
- Implement a training schedule for any activity where personal risk is involved
- Arrange First Aid and AED training for Duty Officers and volunteers willing to do the training
- Maintain a register of trained personnel and current First Aiders
Young veterans are still in the throes of raising families and have careers ahead of them, so their time is limited at best.
Young veterans feel they are not represented particularly well within the RSL. What they need is recognition for their duty to Country.
It’s important to hold onto our history, but we also need to write the history of our young veterans. Find time for them, give them space, give them some tangible recognition and ownership of being a part of VOA.
Objectives:
- Create a feeling within VoA to meet current generation expectations.
- Let’s engage them to tell their stories to our older Veterans and the community.
- Help them be seen and recognized within our own organization.
- Invite new young veterans to management committee meetings and general meetings; arrange our meetings to be more in line with young veteran’s available times.
- Activities suitable for young veterans families.
Our traditional method of fundraising are weekly raffles at the Torquay Hotel and Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings when invited. These methods are limited and difficult to grow. They also require huge amounts of volunteer manpower. We need to be open to other forms of income.
Objectives:
- Look and listen for other forms of income, be open to members suggestions.
- Appoint a Grants Officer to identify opportunities for funding, provide information to the committee, write up and submit the grant, and acquit it on completion.
VOA are fortunate enough to be part of a community that has a good collection of community organizations like Ambulance services, Fire brigade, Police, Hospital staff, and other voluntary organizations like Marine Rescue Queensland, Meals on wheels, Salvation Army, etc
Objectives:
- We need to invite other organizations to be part of our Commemorations.
- Invite them to VOA to introduce themselves, speak about their operations and explain their goals.
VOA will adhere to WH&S requirements within the workplace.
Objectives:
- Do not encourage volunteers to engage in works that are unsafe or of a hazardous nature.
- Not all tasks are hazardous but those that are, need to be identified, and risk assessed to prevent injury.
Our Commitment to Professional Conduct
The Veterans of Australia Code of Conduct sets the standards for integrity, professionalism, respect, and accountability expected of all members, volunteers, and Management Committee members.
Veterans of Australia Association Inc (VOA) prides itself on the professionalism and ability of its members, volunteers and Management Committee to meet the veteran community needs. VOA strives to be a leading service provider and provide a safe, healthy, and happy workplace.
This Code of Conduct is designed to ensure that all members, volunteers, Management Committee, and community members are treated in a manner that reflects the mission, culture, and legal obligations of VOA.
All members, volunteers, and Management Committee members are expected to:
- Observe all policies, procedures, rules, and regulations always,
- Comply with all Federal, State, and local laws and regulations,
- Comply with all reasonable, lawful instructions and decisions related to their work,
- Maintain a high degree of ethics, integrity, honesty, and professionalism in dealing with members, clients, guests, visitors, employees, and other volunteers,
- Adhere to Workplace Health and Safety Policy and Procedure,
- Maintain the confidentiality of the organisation's operations in relation to service activities, confidential documentation and work practices during and after their work,
- Take reasonable steps to ensure their health, safety, and welfare in the workplace, as well as that of others. Volunteers are expected to familiarise themselves with their workplace health and safety obligations.
If a volunteer breaches the following guidelines, disciplinary action may be taken. If the breach of conduct is of a legal nature, it will be addressed in accordance with relevant Federal, State, or local government laws.
Volunteers and Management Committee members should not:
- Discriminate against another member, volunteer, worker, or community member based on sex, age, race. religion, disability, pregnancy, marital status, or sexual preference
- Engage in fighting or disorderly conduct, or sexually harass others,
- Steal, damage, or destroy property belonging to VOA, its volunteers or community members,
- Work intoxicated or under the influence of controlled or illegal substances,
- Bring controlled or illicit substances to the workplace,
- Smoke on the organisation's premises,
- Accept benefits or gifts which give rise to an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
Volunteers and Management Committee members should:
- Dress to comply with workplace health and safety regulations relevant to their work activities,
- Dress suitably for their position, presenting a clean, neat, and tidy appearance always,
- Wear a uniform (VOA dress shirt) and maintain its condition (clean and not tom),
- Consult with the Manager or Program Supervisor if unsure of the type of clothing appropriate to their position,
- Those who deliberately breach this dress code may receive disciplinary action.
Securely store personal information provided by a client, employee, or volunteer. Take reasonable steps to ensure this material is kept secure against:
- Loss,
- Unauthorised access,
- Use modification or disclosure misuse,
- Use personal information only for its intended purposes. Do not disclose personal information to another party unless the member has given individual consent
- Keep information regarding all service provisions confidential within the organisation. Do not disclose information associated directly or indirectly to the organisation to external parties unless authorised by the Manager or Program Supervisor.
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Hervey Bay Veterans' Advice & Social Centre
Veterans of Australia Association Inc.
PO BOX 3243
Pialba QLD 4655
“This is a self-funding, non-profit association that uses only unpaid volunteers.”
Patron: Mr. Ted Sorensen MP and Mr. Tom Jehn OAM
