Aware of the homelessness problem plaguing his fellow veterans, Lucas Dowton decided to act.
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The Tamar Valley veteran understands the struggles that can ensue after returning from service, and has established a lawn mowing business, with profits going towards homeless veterans’ services.
Mr Dowton served between 1995 and 2010, and was deployed to East Timor in 2006.
He was discharged from the army for medical reasons.
"I haven't really been doing much since then, but I noticed a gap in the system with veterans and homelessness,” Mr Dowton said.
Mr Dowton is friends with the founder of Veterans Off The Streets Australia, the organisation he will donate Mowing On Tamar’s profits to.
VOTSA was formed after Brisbane ex-serviceman Mick Spring watched an investigation into veterans' homelessness.
He co-founded the organisation with director Alex Smith, of Canberra.
Mrs Smith said the organisation works to connect homeless veterans with nearby services and fund their temporary accommodation.
RSL Tasmania entitlements support officer Alex Dick said homeless veterans aged between 30 and 45 had approached RSL Tasmania.
Mr Dick said the problem had potentially become "marginally worse" over recent months.
Due to difficulties counting the homeless population and homeless veterans often being reluctant to disclose their service, Mr Dick said it was difficult to pinpoint the number of homeless ex-services personnel in Tasmania.
A Department of Veterans’ Affair spokeswoman said the DVA was “concerned about any instance of homelessness among former members of the Australian Defence Force”.
“If DVA becomes aware of a veteran who is homeless, or at risk of homelessness, we seek to ensure that they have access of the appropriate services and support provided by DVA, other government agencies, ex-service and community organisations,” the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said while the Department of Social Services were responsible for homelessness policy, the DVA were engaged in two projects to establish a more accurate estimate of the number of homeless veterans.
A Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel is currently taking submissions.
The inquiry was established after a motion was made by Tasmanian Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie.
The Inquiry will report back to the Senate by March 30, 2017.
Ms Lambie said the inquiry should investigate the processes of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
“We now have a historic Senate Committee established which will thoroughly investigate the performance of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” Ms Lambie said.
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan said the federal government had introduced free mental health treatment for current and former members of the ADF with a range of mental health conditions.
Mrs Smith said the majority of veterans VOSTA assisted were under the age of 35.
"The youngest vet we've helped is 21, the oldest is 88," Mrs Smith said.
She said veterans presented with a variety of complex situations, with struggling with divorce and child support payments a common problem.
Mr Dowton struggled personally after he was discharged, experiencing instability from a family breakdown.
"I was unfortunate, when I left the ADF I [experienced] a marriage break-up and spent a couple of years in limbo,” Mr Dowton said.
But Mr Dowton said he had been “fine” since he moved to Tasmania from Bendigo, Victoria about three years ago.
He said it was family breakdowns and mental health issues that could cause veterans to become vulnerable.
"We haven't actually got any firm figures [on homelessness],” Mr Dowton said.
“The problem is, a lot of veterans [have] too much pride to go ask for help," he said.
Mrs Smith said veterans sometimes did not know about their entitlements.
"The Department of Veterans' Affairs ... they have really good systems in place but I don't think people know about [them]," Mrs Smith said.
VOSTA is run by volunteers nationwide, and will soon recruit for more Australians to help run the service.
Mrs Smith said the most common issues for veterans VOSTA worked with were "definitely mental health problems".
"Post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common thing that I come across," Mrs Smith said.
"Very rarely do we have somebody that isn't affected by PTSD and that's the reason they've become homeless."
It’s the prevalence of homelessness and mental illness that inspired Mr Dowton to recruit two of the veteran friends he’s made in Tasmania to help on his mowing crusade.
"My plan with this also is, once I get this up and running, is to go to markets and set up a stall, just as an awareness thing,” he said.
Mr Dowton connected with other veterans through Overwatch Australia when he moved to Tasmania, and said having a network of ex-service people to relate to was vital.
Overwatch Australia is an online network which is able to trigger a quick on the ground response if veterans exhibit behaviour online which signifies they may be in a vulnerable state.
Mr Dowton can only work fixed hours due to his pension conditions and injury, but the three veterans will divide the work.
He purchased the mower about six months ago, and the business will focus on large yards and industrial and commercial mowing.
To contact Mowing On Tamar call 0436 355 557 or e-mail mowingontamar@bigpond.com