What is the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission?

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

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

Key functions performed by the Defence and Veterans' Service 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.

      

2. Oversee, 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, including through engaging with people with lived experience and promoting that lived experience.

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 Defence and veteran deaths suicide.

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

The DVSC will monitor, inquire 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, encompassing government agencies responsible for the wellbeing of serving and ex-serving ADF members, and non-government organisations and individuals who have a role in supporting current and ex-serving ADF members, their wellbeing and their families' wellbeing.

The nature of the ecosystem will also change over time, with developments in suicide prevention, the support landscape for current and ex-serving members, and changes in the nature of military service.

“Responsibility for suicide prevention needs to be widely embedded. This requires an integrated and collaborative approach between Defence, DVA, other agencies and non-government organisations at federal and state and territory levels. This is further complicated by the defence and veteran ecosystem having many component parts, while services are delivered through multiple agencies and providers.” 

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, Final Report Volume 6, Chapter 30, p. 279.

By law, the Commissioner cannot:

1. make findings of civil or criminal wrongdoing;
2. make findings on the manner or cause of death in relation to a death of a defence member or suspected suicide; or
3. 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:

“The new entity should not seek to replace the responsibilities of existing agencies. Rather, its role should be to ensure that cultural change occurs, and that suicide prevention is embedded as a core business function. The new entity should not duplicate specific functions of existing agencies. The new entity should work with, and leverage the expertise of, existing agencies where possible.” 

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, Final Report Volume 6, Chapter 30, p. 279.

“The proposed new entity would not manage complaints from individuals relating to other Australian Government agencies, nor would it investigate individual disputes about them. This is to ensure a systems-level focus and to prevent the duplication of functions with other complaints handling bodies."

Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, Final Report Volume 6, Chapter 30, p. 289.

The DVSC is a key initiative in continuing the reforms to improve suicide prevention and wellbeing outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members, as envisaged by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

Recommendation 122 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission recommended the Australian Government establish a new statutory entity to oversee system reform across the whole Defence and veteran ecosystem. The Australian Government agreed to this recommendation in the Government Response to the Final Report in December 2024.

In February 2025, the Australian Parliament passed legislation to establish the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner, with effect from 29 September 2025. The passage this legislation gave effect to the intent of recommendation 122.