Amendment Statement of Principles

concerning

INTERVERTEBRAL DISC PROLAPSE

No. 80 of 2008

for the purposes of the

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

and

Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

1. This Instrument may be cited as Statement of Principles concerning intervertebral disc prolapse No. 80 of 2008.

2.                   The Repatriation Medical Authority amends, under subsection 196B(8) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, Statement of Principles concerning intervertebral disc prolapse No. 39 of 2007 by:

(A)            Replacing existing factor "(d)" in clause 6 with the following:

"(d) driving a motor vehicle for an average of at least 25 hours per week, for a period of at least two years within the ten years before the clinical onset of intervertebral disc prolapse; or"; and

(B)             Replacing existing factor "(k)" in clause 6 with the following:

"(k) driving a motor vehicle for an average of at least 25 hours per week, for a period of at least two years within the ten years before the clinical worsening of intervertebral disc prolapse; or"; and

(C)             Inserting a new factor "(da)" immediately following factor "(d)" in clause 6 as follows:

"(da) flying a motorised aircraft for a cumulative total of at least 2500 hours within the ten years before the clinical onset of intervertebral disc prolapse; or"; and

(D)            Inserting a new factor "(ka)" immediately following factor "(k)" in clause 6 as follows:

"(ka) flying a motorised aircraft for a cumulative total of at least 2500 hours within the ten years before the clinical worsening of intervertebral disc prolapse; or"; and

(E)             Replacing the definition of "high performance aircraft" in clause 9 with the following:

'"high performance aircraft" means an aircraft capable of routinely sustaining a positive G force of four or more;'.

3.                   The amendment made by this instrument applies to all matters to which Instrument No. 39 of 2007, section 120A of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 and section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 apply.

4.                   The amendment made by this instrument takes effect from 5 November 2008.

Dated this twenty-second day of  October 2008

The Common Seal of the  )

Repatriation Medical Authority )

was affixed to this instrument )

in the presence of   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRPERSON