{"id":"F2024L00727","name":"Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Regulations 2024","slug":"economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442430,"registerId":"F2024L00727-fast-fetch-1775957444554","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Regulations 2024","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-keywords: \"[SEC=OFFICIAL:Sensitive]\"\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nEconomic Inclusion Advisory Committee Regulations 2024\n\nI, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following regulations.\n\nDated 20 June 2024\n\nDavid Hurley\n\nGovernor‑General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command\n\nAmanda Rishworth\n\nMinister for Social Services\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Definitions\n\nPart 2—Travel allowance for Committee members\n\nDivision 1—General provisions\n\n5 Purpose of this Part\n\n6 General principles for administering this Part\n\nDivision 2—Travel allowance for Committee members\n\n7 Travel allowance for Committee members\n\n8 Travel allowance—allowance for expenses of travel\n\n9 Travel allowance—meals and accommodation allowance\n\n10 Meals and accommodation allowance\n\n11 Part payment of meals and accommodation allowance\n\n12 Non‑commercial accommodation\n\n13 Unavoidable higher accommodation cost\n\n14 Additional meals\n\n15 No double payment\n\nDivision 3—Delegation\n\n16 Delegation by Secretary\n\nDivision 4—Rates of meals and accommodation allowance\n\n17 Rates of meals and accommodation allowance—capital cities\n\n18 Rates of meals and accommodation allowance—country centres\n\n19 Meal and incidental components—high cost centres\n\n20 Meal and incidental components—other country centres\n\n21 Group 2 country centres\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Regulations 2024.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered. 22 June 2024\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Act 2023.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) Chair;\n\n(b) Committee.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Act 2023.\n\ncommercial accommodation means accommodation in a commercial establishment such as a hotel, motel or serviced apartment.\n\nCommittee member means a member of the Committee and includes the Chair.\n\nhome base, in relation to a Committee member, means the town or city in which the Committee member’s principal place of residence is located.\n\nmeals and accommodation allowance has the meaning given by subsection 9(1).\n\nofficial travel for a Committee member means:\n\n (a) travel within Australia to attend a meeting of the Committee; or\n\n (b) other travel within Australia related to the function of the Committee.\n\nSecretary means the Secretary of the Department administered by the Minister.\n\nTable 1 means the table of rates of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to capital cities in section 17.\n\nTable 2 means the table of rates of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to country centres in section 18.\n\nTable 3 means the table of meal and incidental components of meals and accommodation allowance for high cost centres in section 19.\n\nTable 4 means the table of meal and incidental components of meals and accommodation allowance for other country centres in section 20.\n\nTable 5 means the table of group 2 country centres in section 21.\n\nPart 2—Travel allowance for Committee members\n\nDivision 1—General provisions\n\n5  Purpose of this Part\n\n  For the purposes of subsection 14(2) of the Act, this Part prescribes allowances that a Committee member is to be paid by the Commonwealth.\n\n6  General principles for administering this Part\n\n (1) This Part is intended to be administered in accordance with the principles in this section.\n\n (2) Committee members are not expected to gain or lose financially as a result of official travel.\n\n (3) Committee members must only incur expenses, or commit the Commonwealth to meet expenses, where funds are lawfully available to do so.\n\n (4) Travel may only be undertaken where its purpose is consistent with the duties of the Committee member.\n\n (5) When making travel arrangements, Committee members are to consider the following:\n\n (a) the necessity of travel and potential alternatives to travel, such as teleconferencing or videoconferencing;\n\n (b) the total cost of travel, including value for money;\n\n (c) any travel‑related administrative guidelines put in place by the Department;\n\n (d) the flexibility to maintain an appropriate balance between work and home responsibilities, as well as safety and security.\n\nDivision 2—Travel allowance for Committee members\n\n7  Travel allowance for Committee members\n\n (1) A Committee member is entitled to be paid travel allowance for official travel in accordance with this Division.\n\n (2) Travel allowance under this Division is to be paid on the condition that:\n\n (a) the Committee member uses the Department’s travel‑related preferred provider arrangements where these exist; and\n\n (b) frequent flyer points accrued at the Commonwealth’s expense are not to be used for private purposes.\n\n8  Travel allowance—allowance for expenses of travel\n\n (1) For official travel by air, a Committee member is entitled to travel in business class. However, the Committee member may choose to travel at a lower class if that would be more convenient or appropriate.\n\n (2) For official travel by a Committee member’s private motor vehicle, a Committee member is entitled to be paid travel allowance at the rate of 85 cents per kilometre.\n\n (3) For official travel by public transport, taxi or similar means, a Committee member is entitled to be paid travel allowance for the actual amount that is payable for the travel.\n\n9  Travel allowance—meals and accommodation allowance\n\n (1) A Committee member who undertakes official travel which requires an overnight absence is entitled to be paid travel allowance (meals and accommodation allowance) for each night of absence for accommodation, meals and incidental expenses in accordance with this Division.\n\nDay travel\n\n (2) No meals and accommodation allowance is payable under this section for official travel that does not require an overnight absence.\n\n10  Meals and accommodation allowance\n\n (1) For each overnight absence on official travel for which the Committee member stays in commercial accommodation, the Committee member is to be paid meals and accommodation allowance, subject to this Division, at the rates in:\n\n (a) for travel to a capital city—Table 1; or\n\n (b) otherwise—Table 2.\n\nNote: The rates in Tables 1 and 2 are intended to cover the costs of accommodation and meals, and incidental costs.\n\n (2) Subject to this Division, the rates in Table 1 or 2 are to be paid to the Committee member for each overnight absence regardless of the time of departure from, or arrival at, the home base.\n\n11  Part payment of meals and accommodation allowance\n\n (1) If the cost of accommodation is met by an entity other than the Committee member, the amount of meals and accommodation allowance payable is the “Total” amount in Table 3 or 4.\n\n (2) If the cost of a meal or meals is met by an entity other than the Committee member, the amount of meals and accommodation allowance is to be reduced by the meal amount or amounts in Table 3 or 4.\n\n12  Non‑commercial accommodation\n\n  If the Committee member 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 meals and accommodation allowance is payable (rounded upwards to the nearest dollar).\n\n13  Unavoidable higher accommodation cost\n\n  If the Secretary certifies that the Committee member is required to obtain high cost accommodation, an additional payment may be made to the Committee member 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\n (b) the additional payment is to be based on the excess cost of accommodation over the meals and accommodation allowance rate (after deducting the relevant “Total” amount in Table 3 or 4 (meals and incidentals) from the meals and accommodation allowance rate);\n\n (c) the additional payment is to be calculated on accommodation expenses and meals and accommodation allowance for the entire trip.\n\n14  Additional meals\n\n (1) If a Committee member is absent for a greater number of meal periods than that covered by the meals and accommodation 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 3 or 4 may be made for the additional meal or meals.\n\n (2) Subject to certification by the Secretary, this may include meal periods on the day of return to a Committee member’s home base where, ordinarily, no meals and accommodation allowance would be payable.\n\n15  No double payment\n\n  No payment of travel allowance is to be made under this instrument to the extent that the Committee member claims or receives an allowance for travel or reimbursement of travel expenses under any other source or entitlement for the same travel.\n\nDivision 3—Delegation\n\n16  Delegation by Secretary\n\n (1) The Secretary may, in writing, delegate all or any of the Secretary’s functions or powers under this instrument to an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, in the Department.\n\nNote: Sections 34AA to 34A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 contain provisions relating to delegations.\n\n (2) In performing a delegated function or exercising a delegated power, the delegate must comply with any written directions of the Secretary.\n\nDivision 4—Rates of meals and accommodation allowance\n\n17  Rates of meals and accommodation allowance—capital cities\n\n  The following table (Table 1) sets out the rates, per overnight absence, of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to capital cities.\n\n \n\n- Table 1—Rates of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to capital cities\n- Column 1Location Column 2Rate\n- Adelaide $398\n- Brisbane $444\n- Canberra $433\n- Darwin $480\n- Hobart $422\n- Melbourne $418\n- Perth $432\n- Sydney $451\n\n\n \n\n18  Rates of meals and accommodation allowance—country centres\n\n  The following table (Table 2) sets out the rates, per overnight absence, of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to country centres.\n\n \n\n- Table 2—Rates of meals and accommodation allowance for travel to country centres\n- Column 1Location Column 2Rate\n- All country centres not specified below $350\n- New South Wales\n- Albury $369\n- Armidale $353\n- Bathurst $369\n- Bega $369\n- Bourke $371\n- Broken Hill $348\n- Cobar $331\n- Coffs Harbour $369\n- Cooma $369\n- Cowra $369\n- Dubbo $357\n- Gosford $348\n- Goulburn $369\n- Grafton $369\n- Griffith $346\n- Gunnedah $369\n- Inverell $369\n- Lismore $350\n- Narrabri $369\n- Maitland $374\n- Mudgee $375\n- Muswellbrook $344\n- Newcastle $382\n- Nowra $355\n- Orange $389\n- Port Macquarie $377\n- Queanbeyan $369\n- Tamworth $369\n- Taree $369\n- Tumut $369\n- Wagga Wagga $364\n- Wollongong $368\n- Northern Territory\n- Alice Springs $393\n- Jabiru $403\n- Katherine $415\n- Nhulunbuy $417\n- Tennant Creek $369\n- Yulara $757\n- Queensland\n- Ayr $369\n- Bundaberg $371\n- Cairns $362\n- Charters Towers $369\n- Chinchilla $369\n- Dalby $388\n- Emerald $366\n- Gladstone $358\n- Gold Coast $396\n- Hervey Bay $362\n- Horn Island $532\n- Innisfail $369\n- Kingaroy $369\n- Mackay $353\n- Maryborough $369\n- Mount Isa $372\n- Nambour $350\n- Rockhampton $361\n- Roma $369\n- Thursday Island $510\n- Toowoomba $348\n- Townsville $361\n- Weipa $425\n- South Australia\n- Bordertown $351\n- Ceduna $369\n- Kadina $369\n- Mount Gambier $351\n- Naracoorte $369\n- Port Augusta $369\n- Port Lincoln $357\n- Port Pirie $369\n- Renmark $369\n- Whyalla $354\n- Wilpena Pound $410\n- Tasmania\n- Burnie $365\n- Devonport $348\n- Launceston $361\n- Queenstown $369\n- Victoria\n- Ararat $346\n- Bairnsdale $369\n- Ballarat $374\n- Benalla $355\n- Bendigo $351\n- Bright $367\n- Castlemaine $349\n- Colac $369\n- Echuca $369\n- Geelong $362\n- Hamilton $369\n- Horsham $352\n- Mildura $369\n- Portland $369\n- Sale $369\n- Seymour $369\n- Shepparton $354\n- Swan Hill $368\n- Wangaratta $373\n- Warrnambool $369\n- Wodonga $369\n- Wonthaggi $375\n- Western Australia\n- Albany $380\n- Broome $407\n- Bunbury $365\n- Carnarvon $357\n- Dampier $362\n- Derby $379\n- Esperance $367\n- Exmouth $401\n- Geraldton $352\n- Halls Creek $357\n- Kalgoorlie $368\n- Karratha $410\n- Kununurra $391\n- Newman $458\n- Northam $401\n- Port Hedland $362\n- External Territories\n- Christmas Island $405\n- Cocos (Keeling) Islands $518\n- Norfolk Island $390\n\n\n \n\n19  Meal and incidental components—high cost centres\n\n  For the purposes of sections 11, 13 and 14, the following table (Table 3) sets out the meal and incidental components of:\n\n (a) the meals and accommodation allowance rates set out in Table 1 for travel to capital cities; and\n\n (b) the meals and accommodation allowance rates set out in Table 2 for travel to country centres specified by name in Table 2 other than group 2 country centres set out in Table 5.\n\n \n\n- Table 3—Meal and incidental components of meals and accommodation allowance for high cost centres\n- Column 1Component Column 2Rate\n- Breakfast $35\n- Lunch $50\n- Dinner $70\n- Incidental $33\n- Total $188\n\n\n \n\n20  Meal and incidental components—other country centres\n\n  For the purposes of sections 11, 13 and 14, the following table (Table 4) sets out the meal and incidental components of the meals and accommodation allowance rates set out in Table 2 for travel to:\n\n (a) country centres not specified by name in Table 2; and\n\n (b) group 2 country centres set out in Table 5.\n\n \n\n- Table 4—Meal and incidental components of meals and accommodation allowance for other country centres\n- Column 1Component Column 2Rate\n- Breakfast $33\n- Lunch $33\n- Dinner $64\n- Incidental $33\n- Total $163\n\n\n \n\n21  Group 2 country centres\n\n  For the purposes of paragraphs 19(b) and 20(b), the following table (Table 5) sets out the group 2 country centres.\n\n \n\n- Table 5—Group 2 country centres\n- Albury (NSW)\n- Ayr (Qld)\n- Bairnsdale (Vic.)\n- Bathurst (NSW)\n- Bega (NSW)\n- Ceduna (SA)\n- Charters Towers (Qld)\n- Chinchilla (Qld)\n- Coffs Harbour (NSW)\n- Colac (Vic.)\n- Cooma (NSW)\n- Cowra (NSW)\n- Echuca (Vic.)\n- Goulburn (NSW)\n- Grafton (NSW)\n- Gunnedah (NSW)\n- Hamilton (Vic.)\n- Innisfail (Qld)\n- Inverell (NSW)\n- Kadina (SA)\n- Kingaroy (Qld)\n- Maryborough (Qld)\n- Mildura (Vic.)\n- Naracoorte (SA)\n- Narrabri (NSW)\n- Port Augusta (SA)\n- Portland (Vic.)\n- Port Pirie (SA)\n- Queanbeyan (NSW)\n- Queenstown (Tas.)\n- Renmark (SA)\n- Sale (Vic.)\n- Seymour (Vic.)\n- Tamworth (NSW)\n- Taree (NSW)\n- Tennant Creek (NT)\n- Tumut (NSW)\n- Warrnambool (Vic.)\n- Wodonga (Vic.)\n\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of prescribing travel allowances for Committee members. The scope is administrative and procedural, establishing payment mechanisms rather than expanding policy substance. No significant scope creep is evident — the detailed location-specific rates and conditional payment rules are necessary implementations of the parent Act's allowance framework."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-referenced tables (5 tables total) with interdependent definitions — Tables 3 and 4 apply to subsets of locations defined in Tables 1, 2 and 5","Conditional payment logic with several exceptions: section 11 (part payment when costs met by others), section 12 (non-commercial accommodation at reduced rate), section 13 (unavoidable higher costs requiring Secretary certification), section 14 (additional meals with evidence requirement)","Nested definitions: 'meals and accommodation allowance' defined in section 9(1), then broken into components in Tables 3 and 4, with different rates applying depending on whether the location is a capital city, named country centre, or 'group 2' country centre","Delegation provisions in section 16 referencing external legislation (Acts Interpretation Act 1901, sections 34AA to 34A)","Approximately 12 defined terms in section 4, plus terms defined in the parent Act (Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Act 2023)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets rules for reimbursing travel expenses of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee’s members, specifying daily allowance rates by location, permitted transport types and kilometre rates, and conditions that prevent profit, double claims or payment when others cover costs. It affects committee members and the Department of Social Services Secretary (who administers payments). It matters because it ensures fair, transparent reimbursement and limits misuse of public funds for official travel."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument implements the allowance framework authorised by the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Act 2023 (s3) and explicitly states its purpose to prescribe Committee member allowances (s5). It confines itself to travel, meals and accommodation entitlements for Committee members on official travel within Australia and the administrative rules for paying them. It does not alter the Committee’s functions or membership under the Act; it only specifies payment mechanics, rates and administrative discretions (notably Secretary certification and delegation)."},"complexity_factors":["Numerous locality‑specific overnight rates in Table 1 (capital cities) and Table 2 (country centres) which require lookups for each trip (ss17–18).","Separate meal and incidental component tables for high‑cost centres and other country centres (Tables 3–4) used to prorate or reduce payments when meals/accommodation are provided by another entity (ss11, 19–20).","Secretary discretion to certify unavoidable higher accommodation costs and approve additional payments calculated by reference to excess accommodation costs (s13).","Delegation power allowing the Secretary to delegate functions to SES employees, subject to directions (s16).","Entitlement distinctions and conditions: business class air travel by default (s8(1)), 85¢/km private vehicle rate (s8(2)), actual cost reimbursement for public transport (s8(3)), and mandatory use of departmental preferred providers (s7(2)(a)).","Operational rules that affect claims and compliance: no payment for day travel (s9(2)), reduced rate for non‑commercial accommodation (one third, s12), rounding rule for non‑commercial (s12), prohibition on double‑dipping (s15), and restriction on private use of frequent flyer points (s7(2)(b)).","Cross‑references to definitions and the parent Act (ss3–4) meaning interpretation depends on Act terms and Committee definitions."],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set the travel, meals and accommodation allowances the Commonwealth will pay Committee members of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee for official travel within Australia. They specify who pays (the Commonwealth), decision points (the Secretary can certify higher costs and delegate functions), entitlements (e.g. business‑class air travel, 85¢/km for private car, nightly rates by locality) and limits (use preferred providers, no private use of frequent flyer points). The rules aim to reimburse travel costs without profit and require documentation and conformity with departmental arrangements."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024","history":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/economic-inclusion-advisory-committee-regulations-2024/documents"}}