Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 1973

Subject to this section, where an eligible member of the Defence Force, not being an existing contributor, had, before 1 October 1972, served as a member of the Defence Force on continuous full‑time service for a period of not less than one year, he may, by notice in writing given to CSC within a period of 90 days after the date upon which this Act receives the Royal Assent or of the date on which he first became an eligible member of the Defence Force, whichever last occurs, or within such further period as CSC, in special circumstances, allows, elect to have that period of service, or such part of that period as he specifies in the election, taken into account as qualifying service under this Act.

Subject to this section, where an eligible member of the Defence Force, being an existing contributor, had, before 1 October 1972:

served as a member of the Defence Force on continuous full‑time service for a period of not less than one year, being a period that is not, or is not included in, a period of previous contributory qualifying service of the member; or

served as a member of the Defence Force on continuous full‑time service for a period of less than one year, being a period that is not, or is not included in, a period of previous contributory qualifying service of the member but which is continuous with such a period;

An eligible member of the Defence Force is not entitled to make an election under subsection (1) or (2) in respect of any period which, if this Act had come into operation on the day on which he first became a member of the Defence Force, would have been a period of non‑effective service in relation to him.

Where, under subsection (1) or subsection (2), an eligible member of the Defence Force has elected to have a period of service before 1 October 1972 taken into account as qualifying service under this Act, he shall pay an additional contribution to the Commonwealth under this section, which shall be:

if he is an existing contributor and he has served continuously as a member of the Defence Force from the commencement of the period to which the election relates until 1 October 1972 and became a contributor under the previous Act upon the termination of the period to which the election relates—an amount equal to 5.5% of the amount of pay that CSC determines would have been the pay received by him in respect of the period to which the election relates if, from time to time during that period, his rate of pay had been the maximum rate of pay payable to persons of the rank, branch and group that was from time to time applicable to him during that period, or such other rate of pay as CSC determines as being appropriate in the circumstances; and

in any other case—an amount equal to 5.5% of the amount of pay that would have been payable to him in respect of the period to which the election relates if, at all times during that period, his annual rate of pay had been the annual rate of pay applicable to him at the time when he became an eligible member of the Defence Force or such other annual rate of pay as CSC approves in the circumstances.

A person is not entitled to make an election under this section in respect of any period in respect of which he is entitled to make an election under section 93.

An election under subsection (1) or (2) is of no effect unless, at the time when the election is made, or, within such period after that time as CSC, in special circumstances, allows, there is refunded to the Commonwealth, or arrangements satisfactory to CSC are made for there to be refunded to the Commonwealth, any payment of a prescribed kind (being a payment of, or in the nature of, a gratuity or bounty, deferred pay or a part of a pension) paid to the person under the previous legislation, or under legislation relating to conditions of service of members of the Defence Force, in respect of the period to which the election relates.

Where a person who makes an election under this section had credited to him, in respect of the period to which the election relates, under the previous legislation or under legislation relating to the conditions of service of members of the Defence Force, any deferred pay or interest thereon, that credit shall, by force of this section, be deemed to have been cancelled.

In this section, eligible member of the Defence Force includes a person who, at any time during the transitional period, was an eligible member of the Defence Force.