Publication:Sea Talk Winter 2003/Letters to the editor
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Sydney Area Accommodation Plan
I noted with interest that the Endeavour House Site (Junior Sailors Accommodation) has been listed for sale, it is to be leased back to the Department of Defence for just over five years and may then be developed by the new owners. I also believe that Lady Gowrie House (Senior Sailors Accommodation) is to be redeveloped shortly. I was wondering what Defence's long term plans for accommodation for Single Members in the RAN will be when these two and possible other sites are no longer available?
Xanthe Clifford
LSSN
Response:
The Department of Defence identified Endeavour House and Lady Gowrie House for sale in last year's budget. These properties were listed for sale this financial year and are to be leased back to Defence for fixed periods.
Defence is currently tackling the long term strategy for providing accommodation to single members of the ADF. The Members Without Dependants Future Accommodation Arrangements Project was established in August 2002 and will, at its conclusion, identify innovative provisioning options aimed at delivering an accommodation solution(s) that will meet Defence's long-term accommodation requirements for single members.
Work is well advanced to propose to Government a long-term strategy for the future provision of Member Without Dependants accommodation by July 2003. The Project has two phases. Phase one of the project determined the long term Member Without Dependants accommodation requirement for the Services from both an infrastructure and a personnel perspective.
Phase two is the development and assessment of viable provisioning options, against which an accommodation solution(s) will be decided and delivered.
This phase will include a consultation and communication element that will identify the scope for on or off-base accommodation, and inform members of the project, while acknowledging that the accommodation solution will need to obtain a balance between members choice, flexibility and Service requirements.
As the proposed long-term strategy would take some time to be implemented, it is possible that the Government will also examine shorter-term measures.
Melissa Watson
Housing & Removals
Policy Officer 2
Phone 02 6266 2258
Poem from the heart
Here is a copy of a poem my father wrote for my husband who is in Kanimbla. Last time he was there you printed another poem my father wrote at that time. Thought you might like a read.
Tammy Bignell.
National Pride
Today we raised our Nation's flag
to show off our support
for our highly skilled Australians
in the fight that must be fought
and as it started flapping
in the breeze as it unfurled
it gave us both a sense of pride
despite our troubled world
We have become complacent
disrespectful of our freedom
and we believe the time is right
to show how much we need 'em
as our freedom wasn't given
it was earnt by troops defending
our right to live in harmony
their presence never ending
We're proud of every one of you
we'll always be indebted
may comfort come to those you love
who surely must have fretted
our thoughts are with our son-in-law
out there in stormy waters
may he return home safe and sound
to his sons and our daughter
We support the coalition
in their quest for greater good
God knows if it's right or wrong
our belief is that we should
with a reminder to the USA
in the form of this small gripe
we're beside you not behind you
and our flag's not stars and stripes
John Sullivan
March 2003
