About NCDT
The Navy Clearance Diver Trust supports serving and ex-serving Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers and their families. We operate through two ACNC-registered charitable funds and receive no government funding.
Recognised by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
We exist because the gap is real
Clearance Diving is one of the most demanding roles in the Royal Australian Navy. The physical, psychological, and identity challenges that come with the career, and with leaving it, can leave Divers and their families facing hardship that Defence, DVA, and existing government schemes do not fully cover.
NCDT was established to fill that gap. We provide direct financial relief when it is needed most, and resilience programs that help Divers and families navigate their careers and transitions with confidence.
Both of our funds are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
Need support right now? Go to Request Support, or call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 (24/7).
Since 1951, Clearance Divers have served in every conflict Australia has sent its people to. The NCDT exists to serve them in return.
Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers have served in every major conflict since the branch was established in 1951, including Malaya, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Somalia, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They conduct high-risk ship boardings, underwater demolition, and counter-terrorism diving operations. In the current international environment, Clearance Divers remain one of the most flexible and capable assets in the Australian Defence Force, operating at risk on a constant basis in both training and active duty.
The Navy Clearance Diver Trust was established by a group of former Clearance Divers who recognised that the demands and sacrifices of the branch were not matched by adequate support structures. The Trust was modelled on the SAS Resources Trust, founded in 1996 following the Black Hawk training disaster, which demonstrated how a dedicated charitable structure could fill the gaps that Defence and government schemes leave behind. With the guidance and encouragement of the SAS Resources Trust, former Clearance Divers came together to build something equivalent for their own community.
The NCDT is deeply grateful to the organisations and individuals who made the Trust possible and who continue to support it. The SAS Resources Trust and the Commando Welfare Trust provided the model, the encouragement, and the generosity that gave NCDT its foundation. Allens has provided pro bono legal counsel from the outset, a commitment that continues today. The Trust has no expiry date. It exists for as long as there are serving and ex-serving Clearance Divers and their families who may need it, whether their service was operational or training-based.
- How the trust works
Two funds. One mission.
NCDT operates through two separate, ACNC-registered charitable trusts. They serve different needs and are funded and governed independently.
NCDT Relief Fund
Immediate financial relief
Direct support to Clearance Divers and their families when Defence, DVA, and other systems fall short. For urgent hardship, sudden life events, and gaps in cover.
NCDT Transition & Resilience Fund
Programs preventing hardship
Career coaching, education scholarships, mentoring, and research into the factors driving mental health challenges in the Clearance Diver community.
Accountable to everyone we serve
The Navy Clearance Diver Trust is funded entirely by our donors and sponsors.
The Trust is run by volunteers. No paid executives. No salaries drawn from charitable funds. With pro bono legal support from Allens and pro bono audit support from Moore Australia, our operating costs are kept to a minimum so that the money you give goes where you intended it: direct relief for Clearance Divers and their families, or programs that help them transition well.
Every dollar is accounted for. Every fund is independently audited every year. Both charitable structures are registered with the ACNC.
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Both funds registered with the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission)
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Recognised by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
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We are entirely supported by donors, sponsors, and the Clearance Diver community.
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Annual independent audits conducted by Moore Australia
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Pro bono legal support from Allens
Our impact in the past year
These are not large numbers. They are real people, real families, and programs built to reach more of them every year.
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Clearance Divers and families supported
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Active coaching participants
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Scholarships awarded
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New mentoring program launching 2026
