{"id":"F2017L01036","name":"Determination 2017/15: Official Travel by Office Holders","slug":"determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":96940,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2017L01036-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"PART 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"GENERAL","content":"# PART 1 – GENERAL\n\n1. 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.\n2. Effective Date: This Determination commences on 27 August 2017.\n3. Effect on Earlier Determinations: This Determination supersedes and revokes in full Determination 2016/07 – Official Travel by Office Holders.\n\n1. 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.\n2. Coverage: This Determination applies to the following offices in the Tribunal’s jurisdiction:\n\n- Judicial and Related Offices;\n- Holders of Full-time Public Office;\n- Holders of Part-time Public Office;\n- Secretaries;\n- Specified Statutory Offices (SSOs); and\n- Principal Executive Offices (PEOs).\n\nDefinitions: The following definitions apply in this Determination:\n\n1. ‘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;\n2. ‘commercial accommodation’ means accommodation in a commercial establishment such as a hotel, motel or serviced apartment;\n3. ‘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;\n4. ‘home base’ means the town or city in which the office holder’s principal place of residence is located;\n5. ‘office holder’ means a holder of a public office covered by a Tribunal Determination or a holder of a Principal Executive Office;\n6. ‘office locality’ means the geographic location of the office holders usual place of work on official business;\n7. ‘official business’ means business pertaining to or required by the duties of the office holder’s office;\n8. ‘partner’ means the de facto partner of an office holder as defined in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.\n9. ‘spouse’ means husband or wife.\n\n1. 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:\n\n- the necessity of travel and potential alternatives to travel, such as teleconferencing or videoconferencing;\n- the total cost of travel, including value for money (the ‘best deal’ for the taxpayer);\n- any travel related administrative guidelines put in place by their agency; and\n- the flexibility to maintain an appropriate balance between work and home responsibilities, as well as safety and security.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"PART 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS","content":"# PART 2 – TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS\n\n1. 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.\n\nTABLE 2A – STANDARD OF TRAVEL\n\n```html\n

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

\n```\n\n1. 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.\n2. 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.\n3. 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.\n 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.\n 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.\n\n1. Agency travel providers: Office holders are encouraged to use their agency’s travel-related preferred provider arrangements where these exist.\n2. Frequent flyer points: Frequent flyer points accrued at the Commonwealth’s expense should not be used for private purposes.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"PART 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"TRAVEL EXPENSES","content":"# PART 3 – TRAVEL EXPENSES\n\n1. 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.\n2. Day travel: Where travel on official business does not require an overnight absence, no travelling allowance is payable.\n\n \n\n1. 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.\n2. 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.\n\nTravel within Australia – Allowance\n\n1. 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.\n2. 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:\n 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.\n 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.\n3. 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).\n4. 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:\n\n(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.\n\n1. 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).\n\n(c) the additional payment will be calculated on accommodation expenses and travel allowance for the entire trip.\n\n \n\n1. 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.\n\nTravel Overseas\n\n1. 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.\n2. 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 Table 9 of Taxation Determination TD 2017/19.\n 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.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"PART 4","sectionType":"part","heading":"OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY MOTOR VEHICLE","content":"# PART 4 – OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY MOTOR VEHICLE\n\n1. 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.\n2. 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:\n\n(a) meet the cost of a rental vehicle; or\n\n(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.\n\n1. 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.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE A - REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL TRAVE","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE A - REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE RATES","content":"# \nSCHEDULE A - REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE RATES\n\nA1. Travelling Allowance Rates: The Travelling Allowance rates set out in Table A1.A will apply on and from 27 August 2017.\n\nTable A1.A – Rates of Travelling Allowance (accommodation, meals and incidentals) per overnight absence.\n\n```html\n

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

TIER 1

TIER 2

TIER 3

CAPITAL CITIES

Adelaide

$390

$366

$286

Brisbane

$438

$415

$334

Canberra

$427

$404

$297

Darwin

$468

$445

$345

Hobart

$376

$342

$267

Melbourne

$446

$386

$302

Perth

$446

$403

$332

Sydney

$446

$405

$314

COUNTRY CENTRES

Non-Specified Country Centres (i.e. not specified below)

$376

$271

$229

NEW SOUTH WALES

Albury

$376

$289

$253

Armidale

$376

$289

$253

Bathurst

$376

$289

$253

Bega

$376

$289

$253

Bourke

$376

$323

$294

Broken Hill

$376

$289

$253

Coffs Harbour

$376

$289

$253

Cooma

$376

$289

$253

Dubbo

$376

$289

$253

Gosford

$376

$298

$269

Goulburn

$376

$289

$253

Griffith

$376

$289

$253

Gunnedah

$376

$289

$253

Lismore

$376

$289

$253

Maitland

$376

$310

$281

Mudgee

$376

$293

$264

Muswellbrook

$376

$289

$253

Newcastle

$376

$323

$294

Nowra

$376

$289

$253

Orange

$376

$313

$284

Port Macquarie

$376

$310

$281

Queanbeyan

$376

$289

$253

Tamworth

$376

$289

$253

Tumut

$376

$289

$253

Wagga Wagga

$376

$302

$273

Wollongong

$376

$307

$278

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Alice Springs

$376

$308

$279

Jabiru

$397

$374

$345

Katherine

$376

$296

$267

Tennant Creek

$376

$289

$253

Yulara

$481

$458

$429

QUEENSLAND

Ayr

$376

$289

$253

Bundaberg

$376

$289

$253

Cairns

$376

$311

$282

Charters Towers

$376

$289

$253

Chinchilla

$376

$301

$272

Dalby

$376

$308

$279

Emerald

$376

$314

$285

Gladstone

$376

$313

$284

Gold Coast

$381

$358

$329

Hervey Bay

$376

$315

$286

Horn Island

$381

$358

$329

Innisfail

$376

$289

$253

Kingaroy

$376

$289

$253

Mackay

$376

$319

$290

Mount Isa

$376

$318

$289

Rockhampton

$376

$289

$253

Roma

$376

$297

$268

Thursday Island

$381

$358

$329

Toowoomba

$376

$289

$253

Townsville

$376

$301

$272

Weipa

$376

$296

$267

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Bordertown

$376

$298

$269

Ceduna

$376

$289

$253

Kadina

$376

$289

$253

Mount Gambier

$376

$289

$253

Naracoorte

$376

$289

$253

Port Augusta

$376

$289

$253

Port Lincoln

$376

$328

$299

Port Pirie

$376

$308

$279

Renmark

$376

$289

$253

Whyalla

$376

$303

$274

Wilpena Pound

$376

$339

$310

TASMANIA

Burnie

$376

$318

$289

Devonport

$376

$303

$274

Launceston

$376

$289

$253

Queenstown

$376

$289

$253

VICTORIA

Ararat

$376

$289

$253

Bairnsdale

$376

$289

$253

Ballarat

$376

$289

$253

Benalla

$376

$289

$253

Bendigo

$376

$289

$253

Bright

$376

$314

$285

Castlemaine

$376

$304

$275

Colac

$376

$296

$267

Echuca

$376

$289

$253

Geelong

$376

$289

$253

Hamilton

$376

$289

$253

Horsham

$376

$300

$271

Mildura

$376

$289

$253

Portland

$376

$289

$253

Sale

$376

$289

$253

Seymour

$376

$289

$253

Shepparton

$376

$289

$253

Swan Hill

$376

$289

$253

Wangaratta

$376

$289

$253

Warrnambool

$376

$289

$253

Wodonga

$376

$289

$253

Wonthaggi

$376

$296

$267

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Albany

$376

$337

$308

Broome

$441

$418

$389

Bunbury

$376

$313

$284

Carnarvon

$376

$309

$280

Dampier

$376

$333

$304

Derby

$376

$348

$319

Esperance

$376

$299

$270

Exmouth

$401

$378

$349

Geraldton

$376

$333

$304

Halls Creek

$376

$328

$299

Kalgoorlie

$376

$317

$288

Karratha

$431

$408

$379

Kununurra

$376

$353

$324

Newman

$376

$353

$324

Northam

$376

$298

$269

Port Hedland

$381

$358

$329

EXTERNAL TERRITORIES

Christmas Island

$376

$338

$309

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

$466

$443

$414

Norfolk Island

$421

$398

$369

\n```\n\nA2. 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.\n\nTable A2.A – Meals and Incidentals Components\n\n```html\n

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

Non-specified Country Centres (including Group 2 country centres listed in Table A2.B)

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Breakfast

$35

$30

$28

$35

$28

$25

Lunch

$50

$42

$31

$50

$28

$28

Dinner

$69

$59

$52

$69

$54

$48

Incidentals

$28

$28

$20

$28

$28

$20

Total

$182

$159

$131

$182

$138

$121

\n```\n\nTable A2.B – Group 2 Country Centres\n\n| Country Centre | Country Centre |\n| --------------------- | ------------------ |\n| Albury (NSW) | Kingaroy (Qld) |\n| Ararat (Vic) | Launceston (Tas) |\n| Armidale (NSW) | Lismore (NSW) |\n| Ayr (Qld) | Mildura (Vic) |\n| Bairnsdale (Vic) | Mount Gambier (SA) |\n| Ballarat (NSW) | Muswellbrook (NSW) |\n| Bathurst (NSW) | Naracoorte (SA) |\n| Bega (NSW) | Nowra (NSW) |\n| Benalla (Vic) | Port Augusta (SA) |\n| Bendigo (Vic) | Portland (Vic) |\n| Broken Hill (NSW) | Queanbeyan (NSW) |\n| Bundaberg (Qld) | Queenstown (Tas) |\n| Ceduna (SA) | Renmark (SA) |\n| Charters Towers (Qld) | Rockhampton (Qld) |\n| Coffs Harbour (NSW) | Sale (Vic) |\n| Cooma (NSW) | Seymour (Vic) |\n| Dubbo (NSW) | Shepparton (Vic) |\n| Echuca (Vic) | Swan Hill (Vic) |\n| Geelong (Vic) | Tamworth (NSW) |\n| Goulburn (NSW) | Tennant Creek (NT) |\n| Griffith (NSW) | Toowoomba (Qld) |\n| Gunnedah (NSW) | Tumut (NSW) |\n| Hamilton (Vic) | Wangaratta (Vic) |\n| Innisfail (Qld) | Warrnambool (Vic) |\n| Kadina (SA) | Wodonga (Vic) |\n\nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2017/15:\n\nOfficial Travel by Office Holders\n\nThis determination as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the tables below. Under the Legislation Act 2003, which came into force on 1 January 2005, it is a requirement for all non-exempt legislative instruments to be registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.\n\nTable of Instruments\n\n```html\n

Title

Registration

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Determination 2017/19 – Official Travel by Office Holders

1/11/2017 F2017L01409

27.08.2017

-

\n```\n\n \nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2017/15:\n\nOfficial Travel by Office Holders\n\nTable of Amendments\n\nad = added or inserted am = amended LIA = Legislative Instruments Act 2003 rep = repealed rs = repealed and substituted\n\n| Provision affected | How affected |\n| ------------------ | ------------ |\n| Clause 3.11 | am 2017/19 |","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":2375},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Determination supersedes Determination 2016/07 and maintains the same scope—setting official travel entitlements for office holders. The amendment history shows only minor technical amendments (Clause 3.11), indicating the instrument remains focused on its original purpose without significant scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Three-tier classification system (Tier 1/2/3) affecting multiple entitlements across the instrument","Extensive tabular schedules (Schedule A) with 100+ location-specific dollar amounts for travelling allowances","Cross-references to external instruments including Taxation Determination TD 2017/19 and other Remuneration Tribunal Determinations","Multiple conditional provisions and exceptions (upgrades for lengthy flights, accompanied travel certification, non-commercial accommodation at 1/3 rate, part-payment calculations)","Interaction between travel tiers (defined in separate Determinations) and allowance rates in this Determination"],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets rules for official travel by senior Australian Government officials (judges, Secretaries, statutory office holders and similar), establishing three tiers that determine flight class, daily allowances for accommodation/meals/incidentals, and other travel entitlements. It also covers partner travel (only at Commonwealth expense if certified as in the Commonwealth’s interest), private-vehicle kilometre reimbursement, restrictions on using frequent-flyer points for private benefit, and adjustments when accommodation or meals are provided."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This Determination expressly revokes and replaces Determination 2016/07 (clause 1.3) and restates coverage for a defined set of offices (clause 1.4). It therefore re‑specifies the instrument that governs official travel entitlements and the mechanics for payment, certification and exceptions, rather than leaving those details to the prior Determination."},"complexity_factors":["Tiered entitlements and class rules (Table 2A) introduce different standards for domestic and overseas travel depending on office tier (clauses 2.1–2.2).","Conditional upgrades and accompanied travel are allowed only when 'demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth' and require written employer certification (clauses 2.3–2.4).","Extensive locality‑by‑locality travelling allowance schedule with separate components for accommodation, meals and incidentals (Schedule A, Table A1.A and Table A2.A) increases administrative detail and lookup cost.","Partial payments and offsets where accommodation or meals are provided by third parties, and a one‑third rate for non‑commercial accommodation, create payment adjustments (clauses 3.6–3.8).","Discretionary additional payments for unavoidable higher accommodation costs require employer certification and an excess‑cost calculation across the trip (clause 3.7).","Overseas meal/incidentals link to an external Taxation Determination (TD 2017/19), requiring cross‑reference for correct rates (clause 3.11).","Interaction and potential overrides with other Tribunal determinations and office‑specific remuneration determinations mean coverage can vary by office (Relationship with other Determinations; clause 1.4).","No double payment rule (clause 3.3), frequent flyer restriction (clause 2.6), and vehicle allowance conditions (clause 4.2) add compliance and audit requirements.","Multiple certification points (employer/agency) create discretionary decision nodes and administrative burden for agencies (clauses 2.4.1, 3.5)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets the rules and dollar entitlements for official travel by specified Commonwealth office holders. It defines which travel class each office tier gets, when upgrades or spouse/partner accompaniment are allowed (with employer certification), per‑night travelling allowances by locality, meal/incidentals components, and vehicle/hire allowances. It applies to judicial officers, full‑ and part‑time public offices, secretaries, specified statutory offices and PEOs. The Commonwealth (the employer) pays approved costs; agencies decide on discretionary exceptions and certify high‑cost or accompanied travel."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders","history":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders/history","analysis":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/determination-2017-15-official-travel-by-office-holders/documents"}}