A new forum to support housing-related initiatives for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families has been established between Defence and ADF service organisations.

The Defence Families Roundtable brings together Defence Housing Australia (DHA), Defence Families of Australia (DFA) and the Department of Defence, through its Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) and Defence Relocations and Housing (DRH) branches, to create a new avenue for regular and purposeful communication between organisations.

Establishment of the Roundtable supports an increased focus on Defence community wellbeing and the required uplift in capability outlined in the Defence Strategic Review.

The Roundtable will focus on housing entitlements and flexible solutions, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expectations, member and family wellbeing, and communication and genuine feedback with ADF families.

Defence housing policy support and advocacy for ADF members and families will continue through DHA, DFA, and Defence.

The Roundtable has met twice in 2025, with a focus on increased support for ADF personnel and family members living with special needs, and planned discussions on domestic violence awareness.

DHA is supporting the focus on genuine member feedback through its Annual Occupant Survey which launched this week.

The survey is issued to the more than 28,000 ADF members living in DHA properties nationwide and provides insight into their housing satisfaction and preferences. Survey results will help inform Defence housing policy decision making.

Defence Housing Australia’s Managing Director Andrew Jaggers said:

“This Defence Families Roundtable will be a dedicated forum for information sharing and robust discussion around the services provided to ADF families, including housing.

“DHA, DFA and the Defence branches will capture and share key data on current services and member feedback to inform policy recommendations and support ADF family housing preferences.

“From a housing perspective, the Roundtable will work to strengthen DHA’s services of providing a home and associated services for members in the otherwise tight housing market.”

Director General Defence Member and Family Support Libby Cremen said:

“DMFS is committed to working alongside DHA and DFA to improve the lived experience of Defence families.

“Initiatives such as the Defence Families Roundtable provide a forum for us to connect on the issues that matter most to families.

“The Roundtable provides an opportunity for greater collaboration, coordination and information sharing and will enable a collective approach to improving outcomes for our people and their loved ones, whose support is pivotal to Defence capability.”

Defence Families Australia’s Head Charlotte Webb said:

“This roundtable enables DFA to present real-life experiences directly with those supporting Defence families.

“By highlighting a variety of experiences, our discussions help uncover core issues and encourage practical collaborative solutions. 

“DFA is helping families’ voices to be heard, and the shared commitment from all involved is driving meaningful improvements to the support provided by DHA and the Defence branches.”

More information:

Defence Housing Australia, DHA, meets the operational housing needs of the ADF and the requirements of the Department of Defence by providing adequate and suitable housing and related services to ADF members and their families.

The Defence Member and Family Support branch, DMFS, provides a variety of support services to assist personnel and their families through the unique aspects of service life, supporting Defence capability through uplifting the overall wellbeing of Defence people.

Defence Families of Australia, DFA, is the official Australian Defence Force families’ advisory body to the Minister for Defence Personnel and Chief of the Defence Force. DFA sits outside of Defence systems as an independence and impartial body acting in the best interests of ADF families to support their wellbeing.

-ENDS-

For media enquiries, please contact media@dha.gov.au

DHA Media Release - Defence Families Roundtable formed to support more ADF member and family initiatives