UPDATE ON THE LONG SERVICE AWARDS REVIEW

21 August 2019
Changes to the eligibility rules for the existing ten New Zealand military long service awards are expected to be announced by the end of 2019, once the governing Royal Warrants and accompanying regulations are in place.

As advised on 25 August 2015, the existing long service awards will remain, but the entitlement criteria will allow all eligible New Zealand military service to be counted. For example, service will be able to be accumulated rather than continuous (as is currently required for some awards). This will deliver a fairer system while maintaining the standing of the long service awards.

The appropriate long service award issued will reflect the majority of each recipient’s service. Persons who already have a long service award will continue to wear the award they have. There will be no swapping of awards.

Current serving military personnel will not need to apply for their long service entitlement to be assessed under the new rules. They will be automatically assessed via the data in their SAP HCM records. Please note that given the number of eligible personnel it may take around 12 to 18 months after the announcement to confirm and issue the medal entitlement for every current serving military Service person.

Applications from eligible ex-Service persons will be called for in 2020, once a project team of additional staff has been hired and trained.

Full information on the changes will be released at the time of the formal announcement.

Note – This review has been ongoing since 2011, Yes 2011.  In 2015 we were advised that ex-serviceman would be applying for their entitlements in the first half of 2016 and every year thereafter it has slipped to the following year as is the case with the current update.  If you wish to see historical details of this review please click HERE

It is absolutely amazing that a Public Service Medal can be sought and struck in a single term of Government while this review undertaken by the NZDF languishes year after year.  This is not rocket science, the Police, Ambulance and Fire Service have the same qualification for their medals as the military is attempting to implement for the NZ Defence Force.