DVA Claims for Puckapunyal Veterans

Puckapunyal is the Army's armoured and logistics training home, and generations of crewmen, drivers and logistics tradespeople carry its consequences.

At a glance

  • ServiceArmy
  • Locationcentral Victoria
  • Chart Review$600 + GST
  • Permanent Impairment$1,500 + GST
See all fees

Claims from Puckapunyal

Armoured service is hard on spines: whole-body vibration through tracked vehicles, repeated mounting and dismounting under load, confined crew positions held for hours, and severe noise exposure from engines, weapons and communications systems. Transport and logistics trades bring lumbar and shoulder injury from manual handling at volume, along with vibration exposure from years of driving.

Puckapunyal is the Army's armoured and logistics training home, and generations of crewmen, drivers and logistics tradespeople carry its consequences.

Armoured service is hard on spines: whole-body vibration through tracked vehicles, repeated mounting and dismounting under load, confined crew positions held for hours, and severe noise exposure from engines, weapons and communications systems. Transport and logistics trades bring lumbar and shoulder injury from manual handling at volume, along with vibration exposure from years of driving.

Puckapunyal veterans are spread across Victoria and beyond; the documentary stages of a claim require no travel.

Units and establishments associated with Puckapunyal:
School of Armour · Army Logistic Training Centre · School of Transport · 1st Armoured Regiment heritage · Puckapunyal Military Area 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.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

I served at Puckapunyal 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.

Your doctor

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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Served at Puckapunyal?

Contact us for more information.