DVA Claims for HMAS Stirling Veterans
Fleet Base West at Garden Island is the Navy's western home and the base of the submarine force. The conditions that come out of it are among the most under-claimed in the ADF.
At a glance
- ServiceNavy
- LocationRockingham, Western Australia
- Chart Review$600 + GST
- Permanent Impairment$1,500 + GST
Claims from HMAS Stirling
Submarine service produces a profile that few civilian doctors recognise: noise exposure in confined machinery spaces, atmospheric contaminants over sustained patrols, severe and prolonged sleep disruption from watch rotations, musculoskeletal injury from working and living in spaces built around equipment, and the psychological effects of extended isolation. Surface fleet veterans bring machinery-space hearing loss, ladder and hatch injuries, sea-motion musculoskeletal strain, and in older platforms asbestos exposure.
Fleet Base West at Garden Island is the Navy's western home and the base of the submarine force. The conditions that come out of it are among the most under-claimed in the ADF.
Submarine service produces a profile that few civilian doctors recognise: noise exposure in confined machinery spaces, atmospheric contaminants over sustained patrols, severe and prolonged sleep disruption from watch rotations, musculoskeletal injury from working and living in spaces built around equipment, and the psychological effects of extended isolation. Surface fleet veterans bring machinery-space hearing loss, ladder and hatch injuries, sea-motion musculoskeletal strain, and in older platforms asbestos exposure.
Naval service records are often patchier than Army records, which makes a proper chart review more important rather than less.
Units and establishments associated with HMAS Stirling:
Fleet Base West · Submarine Force · Collins class crews · Anzac class crews · Submarine Training and Systems Centre · Stirling support and maintenance units
Whatever you served on, the claim is decided on your record. Start with the complete guide to DVA claims, find the Statement of Principles for your condition, or read example Diagnostic Assessments written for conditions like yours.
Frequently asked questions
I served at HMAS Stirling years ago. Is it too late to claim?
For most conditions there is no general time limit on lodging an initial liability claim, and veterans who discharged decades ago lodge and succeed regularly. What matters is whether a condition can be diagnosed now and connected to service on the available evidence.
My injuries were never formally recorded.
Common, and not a bar. Mechanism can often be established from your unit, trade and duties along with later records showing the consequences. A chart review is how that material gets found.
Do I need to travel to Queensland?
Not for the documentary stages — chart reviews, diagnostic assessments, diagnosis forms and appeal documents are produced from your file. Only a physical impairment examination requires attendance.
What does it cost?
Every claims stage is $600 + GST and a Permanent Impairment Assessment is $1,500 + GST — fixed, quoted in writing, and payable only once the stage is delivered. Never a percentage of your compensation.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.
With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.
Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.
0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
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