What is the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission?

Schedule 9 of the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025 (VETS Act) 

In February 2025, the Australian Parliament passed legislation to establish the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner. The passage of this legislation implemented recommendation 122 of the Royal Commission to establish a new statutory entity to oversee reform across the whole Defence and veteran ecosystem. 

The DVSC formally commenced on 29 September 2025 under Part VIIIE of the Defence Act 1903.  

Senate Committee Review 

Schedule 9 of the VETS Act required that Part VIIIE of the Defence Act be reviewed by the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee. 

The Committee made three recommendations: 

1. The provisions enabling the DVSC be removed from the Defence Act, into a standalone piece of legislation to ensure the Commissioner’s independence 

2. The Commissioner’s functions should reference veterans’ families, and 

3. The Commissioner’s functions and powers should be reviewed.  

The Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026 

On 31 March 2026 the Australian Parliament passed the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026. This Act implements the recommendations made by the Senate Committee following their review of Schedule 9 of the VETS Act. 

Commencing on 1 June 2026, the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act 2026 is the ongoing enabling legislation of the DVSC. It gives effect to recommendation 1 of the Senate Committee Review.  

The DVSC will monitor, inquire into, and report on reforms to the Defence and veteran ecosystem, as it relates to the prevention of suicide and suicidality.  

The scope of the ecosystem is broad. It encompasses:   

• Current and ex-serving ADF members and their families 

• Ex-service organisations and individuals who support the wellbeing of current and ex-serving ADF members and their families.  

• Government agencies responsible for the wellbeing of serving and ex-serving ADF members. 

The Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner is the Accountable Authority and the head of the agency.   

The role and functions of the Commissioner are based on advice from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and contained in our legislation.   

Key functions performed by the Commissioner include: 

1. Monitoring, inquiring into and reporting on matters, including: 

   • data and trends regarding suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members;  
   • systemic factors relating to the Australian Government’s administration of policies, programs, systems and practices that contribute to suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving ADF members; and
   • the state of the Defence and veteran ecosystem, as it relates to the prevention of suicide and suicidality among veterans.  

2. Inquire into and report on the Australian Government’s implementation of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 

3. Promoting understanding of suicide risks for Defence members and veterans, and factors that can improve their wellbeing. This includes engaging with people with lived experience and the families of serving and ex-serving ADF members.  

The Commissioner will also:  

• Improve supports for serving and ex-serving ADF members 

• Conduct inquiries and advise on matters requested by the Minister, and  

• Work with coroners to understand issues contributing to suicide and suicidality among veterans.  

The Commissioner is required to provide two progress reports on the implementation of the Government’s response to the Royal Commission recommendations. The first is due on 5 February 2027 and the second by 2 December 2030.  

You can learn more about the legislative functions of the Commissioner on our legislation page.

As well as setting out the functions of the Commissioner, the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commissioner Act also clarifies what is not the function of the Commissioner. 

By law, the Commissioner cannot: 

• Make findings of civil or criminal wrongdoing 

• Make findings on the manner or cause of death in relation to a death of a veteran, including findings that the manner or cause of a death was suicide, or 

• Monitor or inquire into a single exercise of a power, or a single performance of a function or duty.  

This means the DVSC cannot inquire into individual matters, including claims for entitlements, complaints or appeals against another entity.  

This is to ensure the DVSC remains focused on system-level reforms as envisaged by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. The Royal Commission advised: