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REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL
Determination 2016/07:
Official Travel by Office Holders
This Determination sets out the provisions that apply when an office holder is required to
travel for official business away from their office locality, or home base in respect of a
part-time office holdera.   It comprises:
Contents
PART 1 – GENERAL ................................................................................................ 1
PART 2 – TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS ............................................................... 2
PART 3 – TRAVEL EXPENSES ................................................................................... 3
PART 4 – OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY MOTOR VEHICLE ....................................................... 5
SCHEDULE A - REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE RATES ................ 6
PART 1 – GENERAL
1.1
Authority:  The Remuneration Tribunal has made this Determination in accordance
with sub-sections 5(2A), 7(3) and 7(4), of the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973.
1.2
Effective Date:  This Determination takes effect on and from 28 August 2016.
1.3
Effect on Earlier Determinations:  This Determination supersedes and revokes in
full Determination 2015/11 – Official Travel by Office Holders (as amended).
1.4
Relationship with other Determinations:  The travel tier relevant to individual
office holders is determined in the Determinations that set out remuneration for those
office holders.  Those Determinations may contain exclusions or limitations in the
application of this Determination to an office or offices, which override, to the extent
of any inconsistency, the provisions of this Determination.
1.5
Coverage:  This Determination applies to the following offices in the Tribunal’s
jurisdiction:

Judicial and Related Offices;

Holders of Full-time Public Office;

Holders of Part-time Public Office;

Secretaries;

Specified Statutory Offices (SSOs); and

Principal Executive Offices (PEOs).

a In this context, part-time office holder does not include a person paid in accordance with the Part Time Work clause
of the Holders of Full-Time Public Office Determination.
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1.6
Definitions:  The following definitions apply in this Determination:
1.6.1  ‘agency’ means the agency to which the office holder is appointed, or the
agency that administers the entitlements of the office holder if the office is
not part of an agency;
1.6.2  ‘commercial accommodation’ means accommodation in a commercial
establishment such as a hotel, motel or serviced apartment;
1.6.3  ‘employer’ means the Commonwealth and includes any person authorised to
exercise powers, perform acts, grant approvals or give directions for, or on
behalf of, the Commonwealth; in respect of Principal Executive Offices it
means the employing body;
1.6.4  ‘home base’ means the town or city in which the office holder’s principal place
of residence is located;
1.6.5  ‘office holder’ means a holder of a public office covered by a Tribunal
Determination or a holder of a Principal Executive Office;
1.6.6  ‘office locality’ means the geographic location of the office holders usual
place of work on official business;
1.6.7  ‘official business’ means business pertaining to or required by the duties of
the office holder’s office;
1.6.8  ‘partner’ means the de facto partner of an office holder as defined in the Acts
Interpretation Act 1901.
1.6.9  ‘spouse’ means husband or wife.
1.7
General Principles:  Office holders are not expected to gain or lose financially as a
result of travelling on official business.  Office holders must only incur or commit the
Commonwealth to meet expenses where funds are lawfully available to do so.  Travel
may only be undertaken where its purpose is consistent with the duties of the office
holder.  In addition, when making travel arrangements, office holders are to consider:
  the necessity of travel and potential alternatives to travel, such as teleconferencing
or videoconferencing;
  the total cost of travel, including value for money (the ‘best deal’ for the
taxpayer);
  any travel related administrative guidelines put in place by their agency; and
  the flexibility to maintain an appropriate balance between work and home
responsibilities, as well as safety and security.
PART 2 – TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS
2.1
Class of Travel:  Where an office holder travels on official business he or she is
entitled to travel at the class of travel set out in Table 2A that is consistent with his or
her travel Tier.  The office holder can choose to undertake travel at a lower class if
that would be more convenient or appropriate.
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TABLE 2A – STANDARD OF TRAVEL
Travel Tier of Office
Class of Travel
Within Australia
Overseas
Tier 1
Highest available
First class or Business class
Tier 2
Business class
Business class
Tier 3
Economy class
Economy class
2.2
Upgrade – Accompanying travel:  An office holder may upgrade his or her class of
travel in order to accompany a person travelling at a higher class of travel where it is
demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth to do so.
2.3
Upgrade – lengthy flight:  An office holder who is entitled to travel Economy Class
may upgrade to Business Class (for domestic and international travel) where the
duration of the flight exceeds five hours.
2.4
Accompanied Travel:  An office holder may be entitled to be accompanied by his/her
spouse or partner for purposes relating to official business at Commonwealth expense
when travelling within Australia or overseas in accordance with this Determination.
2.4.1  Accompanied travel may only occur when the office holder’s employer certifies
in writing that it is demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth, given
the purpose of the travel, for the office holder to be accompanied by his/her
spouse or partner.
2.4.2  Where the office holder’s spouse or partner accompanies him/her, the spouse
or partner may travel at the same class of travel as the office holder.
2.5
Agency travel providers: Office holders are encouraged to use their agency’s travel-
related preferred provider arrangements where these exist.
2.6
Frequent flyer points:  Frequent flyer points accrued at the Commonwealth’s
expense should not be used for private purposes.
PART 3 – TRAVEL EXPENSES
3.1
Payment of travel expenses:  Where an office holder travels on official business
which requires an overnight absence, travelling expenses will be met in accordance
with the provisions in this Part.
3.2
Day travel:  Where travel on official business does not require an overnight absence,
no travelling allowance is payable.
3.3
Accompanied accommodation costs:  Where the Commonwealth meets the travel
costs of the office holder’s spouse or partner accompanying him/her in accordance
with clause 2.4 (Accompanied Travel), if evidence is provided that there is a difference
in cost between a single and double room in the commercial accommodation used, the
amount of the difference shall be added to the amount of travelling allowance that
would otherwise be paid.
3.4
No double payment:  Where the office holder claims or receives travelling allowance
or reimbursement of travelling expenses under any other source or entitlement for the
same travel, no payment of travelling allowance or expenses will be made under this
Determination.
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Travel within Australia – Allowance
3.5
Travelling Allowance:  For each overnight absence on business travel within
Australia, the office holder, where he or she stays in commercial accommodation, will
be paid travelling allowance at the relevant rate in Table A1.A of Schedule A, unless
the provisions in clauses 3.6 or 3.7 apply. Subject to those provisions, the full
amount will be paid to the office holder for each overnight absence regardless of the
time of departure from, or arrival at, his or her office locality or home base.
3.6
Part Payment of Travelling Allowance:  The full amount of travelling allowance in
Table A1.A of Schedule A will not be paid in the following circumstances:
3.6.1
Accommodation paid for:  Where the cost of accommodation is met by an
entity other than the office holder, travelling allowance payable is the relevant
‘Total’ amount shown in Table A2.A of Schedule A for the travel Tier applying
to the office.
3.6.2
Meals paid for:  Where the cost of a meal or meals is met by an entity other
than the office holder, the amount of travelling allowance should be reduced
by the relevant meal amount(s) referred to in Table A2.A of Schedule A.
3.7
Non-commercial accommodation:  Where an office holder does not stay in
commercial accommodation, but stays in accommodation such as the home of a
family member or friend, a rate of one third of the specified travelling allowance is
payable (rounded upwards to the nearest dollar).
3.8
Unavoidable higher accommodation cost:  Where an employer certifies that an
office holder is required to obtain high cost accommodation, an additional payment
may be made to the office holder in accordance with the following:
(a)  the requirement must be due to the unavailability of accommodation of a
reasonable standard at a locality, which would have avoided this additional
payment.
(b)  the additional payment will be based on the excess cost of accommodation over
the travel allowance rate, after deducting the relevant ‘Total’ amount shown in
Table A2.A of Schedule A (meals and incidentals).
(c)  the additional payment will be calculated on accommodation expenses and travel
allowance for the entire trip.
3.9
Additional meals:  Where an office holder is absent for a greater number of meal
periods than that covered by the travelling allowance payment (the rate nominally
covers 3 meals per day) and provides evidence that actual meal costs exceeded the
meal component for the absence, payment at the rates set out in Table A2.A of
Schedule A may be made for the additional meal(s).  Subject to employer certification,
this may include meal periods on the day of return to an office holder’s home base or
office locality where, ordinarily, no travelling allowance would be payable.
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Travel Overseas
3.10
Accommodation:  When travelling overseas on official business, an office holder is
entitled to accommodation at Commonwealth expense.  Accommodation should be at
a standard reasonably equivalent to that provided for the office holder in Australia.
3.11
Meals and Incidentals:  Office holders travelling overseas on official business are to
be paid, for meals and incidentals, an amount equivalent to the total meals and
incidentals figures for the relevant destinations published in Schedule 1 Table 2 of
Taxation Determination TD 2016/13 (or its successor).
3.11.1  For the purposes of clause 3.11, Tier 1 office holders receive the amounts
specified in the Taxation Determination for the highest salary group, Tier 2
office holders the amounts specified for the middle salary group, and Tier 3
office holders the amounts for the lowest salary group.
PART 4 – OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY MOTOR VEHICLE

4.1
Vehicle travel:  The following arrangements apply to the use of vehicles where the
office holder is not supplied with a vehicle by the agency that can be used for the
purposes of travel on official business.
4.2
Use of vehicle:  An office holder may choose to hire a vehicle or use his or her own
vehicle to travel on official business where it is demonstrably in the interest of the
Commonwealth to do so.  In such circumstances the Commonwealth will:
(a)  meet the cost of a rental vehicle; or
(b)  pay a motor vehicle allowance at the rate of 66 cents per kilometre where a
private vehicle is used for the journey. Any private vehicle used for this purpose
must be comprehensively insured.
4.3
Agency vehicle:  These provisions do not apply to any journey commenced from the
home base of an office holder where he or she is provided with an agency vehicle at
that home base.
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SCHEDULE A - REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE
RATES
A1.  Travelling Allowance Rates:  The Travelling Allowance rates set out in Table A1.A
will apply on and from 28 August 2016.
Table A1.A – Rates of Travelling Allowance (accommodation, meals and
incidentals) per overnight absence.
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4

TIER 1
TIER 2
TIER 3
CAPITAL CITIES
Adelaide
$386
$362
$283
Brisbane
$434
$411
$331
Canberra
$423
$377
$294
Darwin
$464
$441
$342
Hobart
$372
$330
$258
Melbourne
$442
$382
$299
Perth
$442
$399
$329
Sydney
$442
$400
$311
COUNTRY CENTRES
Non-Specified Country Centres
$372
$268
$227
(i.e. not specified below)
NEW SOUTH WALES
Albury
$372
$286
$249
Armidale
$372
$286
$249
Bathurst
$372
$286
$249
Bega
$372
$286
$249
Bourke
$372
$319
$291
Broken Hill
$372
$286
$249
Coffs Harbour
$372
$286
$249
Cooma
$372
$286
$249
Dubbo
$372
$286
$249
Gosford
$372
$294
$266
Goulburn
$372
$286
$249
Griffith
$372
$286
$249
Gunnedah
$372
$286
$249
Lismore
$372
$286
$249
Maitland
$372
$306
$278
Mudgee
$372
$289
$261
Muswellbrook
$372
$286
$249
Newcastle
$372
$319
$291
Nowra
$372
$286
$249
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Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4

TIER 1
TIER 2
TIER 3
Orange
$372
$309
$281
Port Macquarie
$372
$294
$266
Queanbeyan
$372
$286
$249
Tamworth
$372
$286
$249
Tumut
$372
$286
$249
Wagga Wagga
$372
$298
$270
Wollongong
$372
$290
$262
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Alice Springs
$372
$304
$276
Jabiru
$377
$354
$326
Katherine
$372
$288
$260
Tennant Creek
$372
$286
$249
Yulara
$477
$454
$426
QUEENSLAND
Ayr
$372
$286
$249
Bundaberg
$372
$286
$249
Cairns
$372
$307
$279
Charters Towers
$372
$286
$249
Chinchilla
$372
$297
$269
Dalby
$372
$304
$276
Emerald
$372
$310
$282
Gladstone
$372
$341
$313
Gold Coast
$377
$354
$326
Hervey Bay
$372
$311
$283
Horn Island
$377
$354
$326
Innisfail
$372
$286
$249
Kingaroy
$372
$288
$260
Mackay
$372
$315
$287
Mount Isa
$372
$314
$286
Rockhampton
$372
$286
$249
Roma
$372
$293
$265
Thursday Island
$377
$354
$326
Toowoomba
$372
$286
$249
Townsville
$372
$297
$269
Weipa
$372
$292
$264
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Bordertown
$372
$289
$261
Ceduna
$372
$286
$249
Kadina
$372
$286
$249
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Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4

TIER 1
TIER 2
TIER 3
Mount Gambier
$372
$286
$249
Naracoorte
$372
$286
$249
Port Augusta
$372
$286
$249
Port Lincoln
$372
$324
$296
Port Pirie
$372
$304
$276
Renmark
$372
$286
$249
Whyalla
$372
$317
$289
Wilpena Pound
$372
$321
$293
TASMANIA
Burnie
$372
$314
$286
Devonport
$372
$299
$271
Launceston
$372
$286
$249
Queenstown
$372
$286
$249
VICTORIA
Ararat
$372
$286
$249
Bairnsdale
$372
$286
$249
Ballarat
$372
$286
$249
Benalla
$372
$286
$249
Bendigo
$372
$286
$249
Bright
$372
$306
$278
Castlemaine
$372
$300
$272
Colac
$372
$292
$264
Echuca
$372
$286
$249
Geelong
$372
$286
$249
Hamilton
$372
$286
$249
Horsham
$372
$286
$249
Mildura
$372
$286
$249
Portland
$372
$286
$249
Sale
$372
$286
$249
Seymour
$372
$286
$249
Shepparton
$372
$286
$249
Swan Hill
$372
$286
$249
Wangaratta
$372
$286
$249
Warrnambool
$372
$286
$249
Wodonga
$372
$286
$249
Wonthaggi
$372
$292
$264
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Albany
$372
$333
$305
Broome
$437
$414
$386
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Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4

TIER 1
TIER 2
TIER 3
Bunbury
$372
$309
$281
Carnarvon
$372
$305
$277
Dampier
$372
$329
$301
Derby
$372
$344
$316
Esperance
$372
$295
$267
Exmouth
$432
$409
$381
Geraldton
$372
$329
$301
Halls Creek
$376
$353
$325
Kalgoorlie
$372
$313
$285
Karratha
$477
$454
$426
Kununurra
$379
$356
$328
Newman
$372
$349
$321
Northam
$372
$317
$289
Port Hedland
$437
$414
$386
EXTERNAL TERRITORIES
Christmas Island
$372
$334
$306
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
$462
$439
$411
Norfolk Island
$506
$483
$455
A2.  Meal and Incidental Components:  The rates set out in Table A2.A provide the
relevant meal and incidental components of the Travelling Allowance rates set out in Table
A1.A.  These rates are specified for the purposes of clauses 3.6, 3.8 and 3.9 of this
Determination.
Table A2.A – Meals and Incidentals Components

High Cost Centres (including
Non-specified Country
capital cities and specified
Centres (including Group 2
country centres listed in Table
country centres listed in Table
A1.A and not in Table A2.B)
A2.B)

Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Breakfast
$34
$29
$27
$34
$27
$24
Lunch
$48
$41
$30
$48
$28
$28
Dinner
$68
$58
$51
$68
$53
$47
Incidentals
$28
$28
$20
$28
$28
$20
Total
$178
$156
$128
$178
$136
$119

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Table A2.B – Group 2 Country Centres
Country Centre
Country Centre
Albury (NSW)
Kadina (SA)
Ararat (Vic)
Launceston (Tas)
Armidale (NSW)
Lismore (NSW)
Ayr (Qld)
Mildura (Vic)
Bairnsdale (Vic)
Mount Gambier (SA)
Ballarat (NSW)
Muswellbrook (NSW)
Bathurst (NSW)
Naracoorte (SA)
Bega (NSW)
Nowra (NSW)
Benalla (Vic)
Port Augusta (SA)
Bendigo (Vic)
Portland (Vic)
Broken Hill (NSW)
Queanbeyan (NSW)
Bundaberg (Qld)
Queenstown (Tas)
Ceduna (SA)
Renmark (SA)
Charters Towers (Qld)
Rockhampton (Qld)
Coffs Harbour (NSW)
Sale (Vic)
Cooma (NSW)
Seymour (Vic)
Dubbo (NSW)
Shepparton (Vic)
Echuca (Vic)
Swan Hill (Vic)
Geelong (Vic)
Tamworth (NSW)
Goulburn (NSW)
Tennant Creek (NT)
Griffith (NSW)
Toowoomba (Qld)
Gunnedah (NSW)
Tumut (NSW)
Hamilton (Vic)
Wangaratta (Vic)
Horsham (Vic)
Warrnambool (Vic)
Innisfail (Qld)
Wodonga (Vic)

Signed on this 2nd day of August 2016

John C Conde AO
Ewen G W Crouch AM
PRESIDENT
MEMBER

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