Help for test participants and people who served in Japan

This page provides information for ex-service personnel and civilians who were involved in, or present at, the nuclear tests at Maralinga, Emu Field and Monte Bello Islands between 1952 and 1965, as well as Australian Federal or Commonwealth Police Officers and Australian Protective Services Officers who patrolled the nuclear test area at Maralinga after the test period.

There is also information for members who served in Japan between 16 August 1945 and 30 January 1946, as well as members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) who served in Japan between 31 January 1946 and 28 April 1952.

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Health Care Treatment

Australian participants in the British nuclear tests or civilians present at the test sites in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s and Australians who served in connection with the occupation of Japan after the Second World War are entitled to a Veteran Gold Card.

The Veteran Gold Card is provided under the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006.

For Veteran Gold Card holders, DVA pays for treatment in Australia for any medical condition, regardless of whether or not related to your involvement in the British nuclear tests or your service in the occupation of Japan, when obtained from a healthcare provider who agrees to treat you under DVA health care arrangements.

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Who is eligible?

The major British nuclear tests in Australia were conducted at Emu Field and Maralinga in South Australia and at the Monte Bello Islands off the West Australian coast from 1952 to 1957. Minor tests were conducted at Emu Field in 1953, and at Maralinga up until 1963. There were no atomic tests carried out in the Monte Bello Islands after 1956. Australians participating in the tests (Australian Defence Force members or Commonwealth employees or contractors) or civilians present, in at least one of these testing areas within a two year period after the relevant test are eligible for the Veteran Gold Card.

Commonwealth Police, Australian Federal Police and Australian Protective Service Officers who patrolled the Maralinga nuclear test area up to 30 June 1988 are also eligible.

Anyone who was in a nuclear test area at a relevant time is eligible, regardless of whether their presence in a nuclear test area was associated with the nuclear tests. This includes pastoralists and Indigenous people among others.

Australian veterans who served in Japan between 16 August 1945 and 30 January 1946 are eligible for the Veteran Gold Card. The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was created on 31 January 1946 and ceased to exist on 28 April 1952. Any Australian veteran who served in Japan as part of BCOF is eligible for the Veteran Gold Card. However, service in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea is not included, regardless of the dates of service.

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Definition of an Australian Participant in the British Nuclear Tests for the Purposes of  Health Care Treatment for All Conditions (Veteran Gold Card)

A person is eligible for a Veteran Gold Card as a British nuclear test participant if one of the following criteria are met:

1. A person is a nuclear test participant if the person:

• was present in a nuclear test area at any time during:
  • if the area was the Monte Bello Islands Area – the period from the beginning of 3 October 1952 to the end of 19 June 1958; or
  • if the area was the Emu Field Area – the period from the beginning of 15 October 1953 to the end of 25 October 1955; or
  • if the area was the Maralinga Area – the period from the beginning of 27 September 1956 to the end of 30 April 1965
• was, at that time, an Australian resident.

2. A person is a nuclear test participant if the person:

• was involved in the transport, recovery, maintenance or cleaning of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft or equipment that was contaminated as a result of its use in a nuclear test area, being involvement that occurred at any time during:
  • if the area was the Monte Bello Islands Area – the period from the beginning of 3 October 1952 to the end of 19 July 1956; or
  • if the area was the Emu Field Area – the period from the beginning of 15 October 1953 to the end of 25 November 1953; or
  • if the area was the Maralinga Area – the period from the beginning of 27 September 1956 to the end of 30 May 1963; and
• was, at that time:
  • a member of the Australian Defence Force; or
  • an employee of the Commonwealth; or
  • a person who, under a contract with the Commonwealth, provided construction, maintenance or support services relating to the conduct of nuclear tests in that nuclear test area during that period; and
• was, at that time, an Australian resident.

3. A person is a nuclear test participant if:

• at any time during the period from the beginning of 3 October 1952 to the end of 31 October 1957, the person flew in an aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force or the Royal Air Force; and
• at the time the person flew in the aircraft, the aircraft:
  • was used in measuring fallout from nuclear tests conducted in a nuclear test area; and
  • was contaminated by the fallout; and
• at that time, the person was:
  • a member of the Australian Defence Force; and
  • an Australian resident.

4. A person is a nuclear test participant if the person:

• was at any time during the period from the beginning of 1 May 1965 to the end of 30 June 1988 present in the nuclear test area that was the Maralinga area; and
• was, at that time, either:
  • a Commonwealth Police Officer under the Commonwealth Police Act 1957; or
  • a member of the Australian Federal Police under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979; or
  • a protective service officer, or a special protective service officer, within the meaning of the Australian Protective Service Act 1987; or
  • a protective service officer, or a special protective service officer, in a Department of the Commonwealth; and
• was, at that time, an Australian resident.

5. A person is a nuclear test participant if the person:

• was involved in the transport, recovery, maintenance or cleaning of an aircraft (including any equipment on or attached to the aircraft) that was contaminated as a result of its use in a nuclear test conducted in a nuclear test area, being involvement that occurred at any time during:
  • if the area was the Monte Bello Islands Area – the period from the beginning of 3 October 1952 to the end of 19 July 1956; or
  • if the area was the Emu Field Area – the period from the beginning of 15 October 1953 to the end of 15 May 1956; or
  • if the area was the Maralinga Area – the period from the beginning of 27 September 1956 to the end of 30 May 1963; and
• was, at that time:
  • a member of the Australian Defence Force; or
  • an employee of the Commonwealth; or
  • a person who, under a contract with the Commonwealth, provided construction, maintenance or support services relating to the conduct of nuclear tests in that nuclear test area during that period; and
• was, at that time, an Australian resident.

 

A nuclear test area is any of the areas described in the following table:

Nuclear test area

Item	Name of nuclear test area	Description of nuclear test area
1	Monte Bello Islands Area	The area within 10 kilometres of Main Beach on Trimouille Island in the Monte Bello Archipelago
2	Emu Field Area	The area within 25 kilometres of the Totem test sites at Emu Field.
3	Maralinga Area	The area within 40 kilometres of any of the Buffalo or Antler test sites.

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Exclusions

The definition of nuclear test participant does not include others indirectly involved in the British Nuclear Tests who were not present at a prescribed site during the prescribed periods such as:

• ADF personnel serving on:
  • HMAS Sydney
  • HMAS Macquarie
  • HMAS Culgoa
  • HMAS Murchison
  • HMAS Tobruk
  • HMAS Limicola
  • HMAS Reserve
  • HMAS Diamantina
  • HMAS Vengeance;
• Any person working or living in Woomera or Woomera village;
• Commonwealth Police at Maralinga after 1988;
• Employees contracted to Kwinana; and
• Employees of the National Australia Bank at Maralinga.

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How do you apply?

If you were present at any of the British Nuclear Test sites in Australia or served with the Australian contingent of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan after the end of the Second World War, please complete the form DVA form D9056.

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Is an ex-service person who was involved in the BNT program or was a BCOF member entitled to repatriation benefits as a result of that service?

Former members of the Australian Defence Force with any condition which is accepted under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) as being related to their participation in the BNT program in Australia or to their service in BCOF are eligible for compensation and health care benefits under the VEA. War widow(er)s of former members of the Australian Defence Force whose death is accepted under the VEA as related to their service are also eligible. Claims will be determined under the more generous ‘reasonable hypothesis’ standard of proof.

For more information, please refer to Apply for the Disability Compensation Payment under the VEA and Pension for orphans and war widowed partners.

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Related Forms

• D9056 Registration for a Gold Card for Australian British Nuclear Test Participants and Australian British Commonwealth Occupation Force Participants

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