Senior defence officials concede the increased assistance of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel during natural disasters may be impacting recruitment and retention.
Air Vice Marshal Stephen Chappell has told a parliamentary inquiry into the country’s disaster resilience ADF responses to events like bushfires and floods are becoming unsustainable due to their increasing frequency.
As well as taking time away from primary ADF duties, Air Vice Marshal Chappell said it was affecting broader defence numbers.
“Ultimately, our commitment and our response over the last three or four years is at an unsustainable level, and that is a contributing factor to our ability to retain and also recruit to the ADF,” he told the inquiry….