2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Government is committed to investing in better health care systems for
ADF members, including more medical personnel, and we will improve the
links between Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to better support
current and former ADF members. Additional resources will provide more
specialist mental health care, including for ADF Reservists and their families.
Resources
Reform
In August 2014, the Government commissioned the First Principles Review
to ensure that Defence is appropriately structured and organised to meet
the challenges of the future. Implementing the Review will ensure Defence
becomes an integrated organisation driven by a stronger strategic centre
rather than a federation of separate parts. The strategic centre will set priorities,
manage resources and be responsible for steering the whole organisation
to implement the Government’s defence plans. The reforms are essential
to delivering the Government’s plans to implement the substantial force
modernisation program set out in this Defence White Paper.
Funding
Central to the development of this Defence White Paper has been the
Government’s direction to align defence strategy, capability and resources.
Addressing the growing gap between planning and resourcing by increasing
defence funding will provide a sustainable basis for future investment and
procurement decisions.
To deliver the capabilities set out in this Defence White Paper, the Government’s
long-term funding commitment provides a new 10-year Defence budget model
to 2025–26, over which period an additional $29.9 billion will be provided
to Defence. Under this new budget model, the Defence budget will grow to
$42.4 billion in 2020–21, reaching two per cent of Australia’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) based on current projections.