Review into the treatment of women at the Australian Defence Force ...

Intent of RecommendationThe Review suggested that in order to develop its potential as a residential setting in which consistentlyhigh standards of behaviour are developed, encouraged and reinforced, ADFA should reform theresidential setting to enhance staff ‘after hours’ engagement and supervision. This Recommendationaimed to do this through investigating options for greater presence of Divisional staff in the precinct andaccommodation, and developing principles to underpin a healthy and safe culture in the residences.Implementation actionsADFA has made varying degrees of progress in addressing the three parts of this Recommendation.ADFA has examined options for more residential accommodation for staff, however it appears that littlecan be done in this area in the short term. A major overhaul of the residential accommodation is plannedfor some time in the next decade, and it is expected that more accommodation for Divisional staff, andmore spaces for interaction will be considered when this rebuild occurs. 45 Additionally, the COMDTpersonally pursued the possibility of extra housing for ADFA staff at Duntroon over a number of monthswithout success. 46A set of principles addressing women’s security and safety and promoting the better engagementbetween staff and undergraduates in the residential setting has not been developed.ADFA has suggested the work done for other recommendations (eg. RSO scheme, sexual ethicstraining) partially satisfies the intent of this Recommendation 21. 47 This is discussed further below.Audit findingsADFA has examined options for the accommodation of Divisional staff within the ADFA precinct, andconcluded that more accommodation options are not available at this time. The current RedevelopmentProject Coordinator notes that:The next generation of accommodation blocks will consider all the matters raised by [the]Broderick [Review] but the time has passed for major new scope items to be introduced [intocurrent plans]. 48In the more immediate future, ADFA concedes that there is ‘virtually no likelihood’ of it obtaining moreaccommodation in married quarters, as RMC Duntroon staff have higher priority than ADFA staff. 49Turning to issues of better interaction, ADFA advises that the establishment of the RSO schemehas ‘enhanced interaction between staff [i.e. the RSOs] and officer cadets in the residential setting’.It remains to be seen whether a healthy and functioning RSO scheme will foster greater linksand interaction between ‘cadets and academic, medical, support and Divisional staff’ (as per theRecommendation) but in the absence of a reorganised residential space, the presence of RSOs is apositive development. Consideration should be given to whether RSOs need specific training in orderto enhance their role as a linkage between various parties (undergraduates, COMDT, staff, supports)at ADFA.Part c) of this Recommendation has not been addressed at all, and the response given to the Auditsuggests a potentially dangerous blind spot may exist in the organisation. When asked aboutthe development of a set of principles addressing women’s safety and security in the residentialaccommodation, the Redevelopment Project Coordinator said that he ‘was unaware of a set ofprinciples specific to women’s security [and] personal safety is important to all cadets and staff’. 51Audit Report: Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy • 2013 • 87