This Circular consolidates relevant information contained in previous Circulars relating to official travel. It supersedes Premier's Memoranda 89-2, 90-41 and 97-16; PEO Circulars 96-9, 96-32, and 96-48; and Premier's Department Circulars 95-15, 95-18 and 98-51.

Ministers are requested to bring this Circular to the attention of public service departments, and other public sector organisations and services coming within, or associated with their portfolios, including State Owned Corporations.

"Official travel" means any travel by a public official or any other person where a public sector organisation or service responsible to a Minister uses public monies to pay for the travel. This Circular relates specifically to air transport, but the general principles should be applied to surface transport with appropriate modifications in individual circumstances.

"Public official" means an officer or employee of a public service department, or of a statutory authority, or of any other public sector service reporting to a Minister, or any other person remunerated by and performing duties under the direction or auspices of such an organisation or service. The intention is that this expression covers any person in an employment relationship with a public sector organisation or service. It does not cover individuals or employees of organisations who provide services under contract to a public sector organisation or service. Where necessary, travel provisions in respect of such contract personnel should be set out in the relevant conditions of the contract.

This Circular covers any circumstances where it is proposed that a public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister use public monies to pay for travel by a public official or any other person.

The Ministerial Handbook provides guidelines for travel by Ministers and related matters, which are not altered by the contents of this Circular. The Ministerial handbook is the authoritative source of guidance in respect of travel by Ministers.

The Public Service of New South Wales Personnel Handbook provides information on overseas travel for public servants, which is not altered by the contents of this Circular. Information is provided on travel insurance and overseas travelling allowances. The Personnel Handbook is the authoritative source of information in respect of these matters.

Information regarding official travel within Australia and overseas follows under separate headings.

Information on travelling allowances and the salary point for Business Class travel entitlements is issued regularly by way of Premier's Department Circular.

Claims for travel expenses incurred by public officials in the course of official travel should be returned to the officer who processes travel claims within the relevant organisation or service as soon as possible, and within one month after the travel has occurred. Travel expense claims should be supported by all procurable documents, such as air tickets, boarding passes, receipts and approvals.

Air travel bookings are to be made through the travel agent in contract to the NSW Government. The contract, for a full range of travel agency services, is currently held by Qantas which makes bookings in its capacity as a travel agent, not as an airline.

Individual organisations should decide whether to meet the cost of staff joining or maintaining membership of airline lounge facilities, frequent flyer schemes or similar services. The frequency and duration of official travel by a member of staff, and the scheduling of flights and official business commitments, are considerations relevant to such decisions. Staff members may join and maintain membership of such schemes and facilities at their own expense irrespective of the nature and extent of their official travel.

In keeping with the principle of not using public expenditure for private advantage, frequent flyer points or benefits under other incentive or loyalty schemes, accumulated in the course of official travel must not be used for private purposes. Such points or benefits may be used only for further official purposes. If frequent flyer points are used to upgrade an economy class ticket the upgrade may be only to the class normally available to the public official concerned as set out below.

This Circular applies to public service departments and other public sector organisations and services reporting to a Minister. In the case of organisations that are not public service departments, the approval of the responsible Minister should be obtained for any departure from the provisions of this Circular. It is considered that this Circular provides a sound approach for State Owned Corporations to follow in dealing with these issues and, accordingly, I suggest that shareholding Ministers and boards of State Owned Corporations adopt these procedures.

Official Travel Within Australia 

1. Approval for official travel within Australia
Ministers may approve of Chief Executive Officers and the person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister approving their own official travel within Australia, subject to any conditions set by individual Ministers. If there is any doubt about whether this provision applies to a public official the Minister responsible for the public sector organisation or service concerned should be consulted.

Ministerial approval is required for official travel to Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island or other external Australian territories. All other official travel within Australia must be approved in writing by the Chief Executive Officer or the person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister, or by a delegate exercising an appropriate delegation, including financial delegation to cover the expenditure proposed.

2. Class of travel
Economy Class should be used for all official travel within Australia, with the exceptions set out below.

Business Class may be used for official travel within Australia by Chief Executive Officers; the person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister; members of the Senior Executive Service; Chairpersons of statutory bodies and of Government boards and committees; and other public officials whose annual salary exceeds $80,500 (as at 1 January 1999) for travel to

• Western Australia,
• the Northern Territory,
• Tasmania, and
• destinations in Queensland to the north of Brisbane.

The salary point mentioned above is subject to review and is advised in the regular Premier's Department Circular concerning travelling allowances.

The public officials entitled to use Business Class in the circumstances outlined above may only use Economy Class for official travel within New South Wales, and to the ACT, Victoria, South Australia, and destinations in Queensland to the south of and including Brisbane, unless one of the following exceptions applies.

A public official travelling within Australia accompanying any Minister may, if required by the Minister, travel in the same class as the Minister for the sectors where they travel together.

Where a public official travels within Australia on duty as a member of a Government-sponsored delegation or similar representative group, the relevant Chief Executive Officer or person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister, may approve a recommendation that the public official travel in the same class as the members who are not New South Wales public officials for the sectors where they travel together.

Variations to the class of travel to be used by public officials should only be approved by a Chief Executive Officer, or person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister, in exceptional circumstances.

Official Travel Overseas 

1. Approval for official travel overseas
Ministers may approve official travel overseas after deciding that the travel is essential and that it can be funded within the budget allocation for the organisation concerned. The Premier has asked that all Ministers maintain a close personal interest in the extent of, and justification for, official travel overseas.

Ministerial approval is required for travel to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in the same way as for other travel outside Australia.

2. Class of travel
Economy Class should be used for all official travel overseas, with the exceptions set out below.

Business Class may be used for official travel overseas by Chief Executive Officers; the person in charge of any other public sector organisation or service reporting to a Minister; members of the Senior Executive Service; Chairpersons of statutory bodies and of Government boards and committees; and other public officials whose annual salary exceeds $86,576 [NB: the original issue of this circular incorrectly stated $80,500] as at 1 January 1999 This salary point is subject to review and is advised in the regular Premier's Department Circular concerning travelling allowances.

A public official travelling overseas accompanying any Minister may, if required by the Minister, travel in the same class as the Minister for the sectors where they travel together.

Where a public official travels overseas on duty as a member of a Government-sponsored delegation or similar representative group, the relevant Minister may approve a recommendation that the public official travel in the same class as the members who are not New South Wales public officials for the sectors where they travel together.

Variations to the class of travel to be used by public officials should be approved by Ministers only in exceptional circumstances.

3. Records
Each public service department, organisation or service within a Minister's portfolio should retain a centralised record of official travel overseas so that, when necessary, aggregate details can be collected. The reporting requirements relating to overseas travel under the Annual Reports Act may be drawn from such a record.

Each occasion of overseas travel, its date and duration, the officer(s) or employees (and any companions) travelling, purpose, any associated private leave granted, the cost and funding source need to be justified and recorded by agencies for audit purposes.

Ministers are advised that they are no longer required to furnish the Premier with six monthly returns of official overseas travel undertaken by officers within their portfolios.

4. Protocol
Proper protocol should be observed in connection with official visits overseas and relations with foreign governments. From time to time the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supplies Premier's Department with guidelines on this subject. Premier's Department Circular 98-12 contains current information as at this date and the Office of Protocol can advise when the information is changed.

C Gellatly
Director General

Superseded by C2005-03