Premier & Cabinet

Type:
Department of Premier and Cabinet Circular
Identifier:
C1996-25
Status:
Archived

C1996-25 Australian and Overseas Travelling Allowances - Including Chief Executive Officers, Senior Executive Officers Statutory Appointees and Part-Time Members of Boards, Committees

Detailed Outline

Premier's Department Circular 1995-22 and Public Employment Office Circular No. 1995-35 provide for the payment of travelling expenses being based on actual expenses for travel within Australia. This Circular supersedes Premier's Department Circular No. 1994-28.

1. Travelling Allowances within Australia:

Travelling allowances, which are to be treated as indicative upper limits for claiming actual travel expenses, have been adjusted in line with movements in the CPI and the following rates are to be effective on and from 1st January, 1997 for each group of officers.

Chief Executive Officers as set out in Schedule 3A of the Public Sector Management Act 1988; Senior Executive Service Officers on Band 3 Lower range and above, and Statutory Officers (unless other arrangements are in place) receiving a cash salary of $103,309pa or above are at the following indicative upper limits:

Capital Cities Elsewhere After 35 Days
(including Canberra)

$238.00 per day $133.00 per day $119.00 per day

All other SES officers, Statutory Officers and other officers on a cash salary above or equal to $74,731pa or below $103,309pa are to be paid at the following rates:

Capital Cities Elsewhere After 35 Days
(including; Canberra)

$204.00 per day $127.00 per day $102.00 per day

All other officers on a cash salary below $74,731 pa are to be paid travelling allowances at the following rates:

Capital Cities Elsewhere After 35 Days
(including Canberra)

$169.15 per day $120.45 per day $60.25 per day

In regard to the rates paid to part-time chairpersons and members of Government Boards, as categorised in Premier's Memo No. 93-43, the discretion rests with the respective Minister as to whether Category B - Governing Boards and Category C -Advisory Boards are to be paid at the Chief Executive, Senior Executive or existing public sector rate. Category D - Advisory Committees will continue to claim actual expenses with an indicative upper limit at the public sector rate.

Meal Allowances for travel not involving an overnight stay for all of the above officers will be at the current public sector rates. These rates are:

Classes of Air Travel

The salary entitlement for business class air travel (Premier's Memo to Ministers No 90-41 Classes of Air Travel) has been increased from $70,441 pa to $74,731 pa, effective from 1.1.97.

Please refer to 'free meals' note on page 3 of the Circular.

2. Overseas Travelling Allowances:

Where departments have staff regularly travelling overseas they may wish to subscribe directly to the Australian Government Publishing Service, which issues rates fortnightly on a computer disk (Overseas Allowances and Conditions); Contact: 132447 (toll free) or (06) 295-4861. This service currently costs $150.00 per annum. Alternatively, for those agencies with too little overseas travel for that subscription to be cost effective, the Premier's Department (Ph. 9228-4381 or 9228-3457) will continue to provide departments with telephone details on the updated rates. Copyright laws preclude the Department from providing any photocopies of these rates.

The remuneration levels for various officers for determining appropriate daily allowance rates are detailed as follows:

Position Category

Chief Executive Officers as set out in Department Head Rate
Schedule 3A of the Public Sector (Part A - Secretaries of Departments)
Management Act 1988; and Senior
Executive Officers on Band 3 Lower
range and above, and Statutory
Officers receiving a cash salary of
$103,309pa or above.

All other Senior Executive Officers, Executive Rate
Statutory Officers and other officers (Part B - Senior Executive Service
on a cash salary above $74,731pa or Officers)
below $103,309pa

Officers on a cash salary below or (Part C - Other Officers)
equal to $74,731 pa

When a part time chairperson or member is required to travel overseas, they are to be paid allowances at the discretion of the Minister, with payment being within the above three (3) categories.

The daily allowance rates are designed to include the cost of meals and incidental expenses but not the cost of accommodation, which is paid on the basis of actual reasonable expenses incurred. Incidental expenses would include, for example, laundry and dry cleaning, taxi fares (other than for official business), newspapers and magazines, private telephone calls and gratuities.

Where the travelling allowance payable to an officer is insufficient to cover actual expenses incurred, the Chief Executive/Minister, where appropriate, may approve the payment necessary to meet those expenses. Justification for the expenses must be in respect of the entire period of travel overseas and not only in respect of particular segments of the journey.

Where an officer's itinerary in Australia or overseas includes "free meals", for example, meals provided at conferences and seminars departments are required to make a judgment as to whether an officer's daily allowance should be discounted for such unpaid meals.

C. Gellatly
Director-General

Overview

Compliance

Not Mandatory

AR Details

Date Issued
Dec 23, 1996
Review Date
Jun 13, 2024
Replaces
Replaced By

Contacts

Contact
Contact us
Phone
02 9228 5555
Publishing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Issuing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet