{"id":"F2013L01606","name":"Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2013/16 - Official Travel by Office Holders","slug":"remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":91413,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2013L01606-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Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"PART 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"GENERAL","content":"# PART 1 – GENERAL\n\n1.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 takes effect on and from 1 September 2013.\n3. Effect on Earlier Determinations: This Determination revokes and supersedes in full Determination 2004/03 – Official Travel by Office Holders (as amended).\n4. 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.\n5. 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 1. Definitions: The following definitions apply in this Determination:\n 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;\n 2. ‘commercial accommodation’ means accommodation in a commercial establishment such as a hotel, motel or serviced apartment;\n 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;\n 4. ‘home base’ means the town or city in which the office holder’s principal place of residence is located;\n 5. ‘office holder’ means a holder of a public office covered by a Tribunal Determination or a holder of a Principal Executive Office;\n 6. ‘office locality’ means the geographic location of the office holders usual place of work on official business;\n 7. ‘official business’ means business pertaining to or required by the duties of the office holder’s office;\n 8. ‘partner’ means the de facto partner of an office holder as defined in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.\n 9. ‘spouse’ means husband or wife.\n 2. 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.\n3. 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.\n4. 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\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\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 Schedule 1 Table 2 of Taxation Determination TD 2014/19 (or its successor).\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 the private vehicle costs calculated in accordance with Table 4A where a private vehicle is used for the journey. Any private vehicle used for this purpose must be comprehensively insured.\n\nTable 4A – Motor Vehicle Allowance – With effect on and from 31 August 2014\n\n| Engine Capacity (non-rotary) | Engine Capacity (rotary) | RateCents per kilometre |\n| ---------------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------- |\n| Above 2,600 cc | Above 1,300 cc | 77 |\n| 1,601 to 2,600 cc | 801 to 1,300 cc | 76 |\n| 1,600 cc or less | 800 cc or less | 65 |\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 31 August 2014.\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

$379

$357

$279

Brisbane

$427

$406

$323

Canberra

$416

$372

$290

Darwin

$457

$436

$338

Hobart

$365

$325

$254

Melbourne

$435

$377

$295

Perth

$469

$409

$355

Sydney

$435

$395

$307

COUNTRY CENTRES

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

$360

$256

$223

NEW SOUTH WALES

Albury

$360

$281

$245

Armidale

$360

$281

$245

Bathurst

$360

$281

$245

Bourke

$360

$314

$287

Broken Hill

$360

$281

$245

Coffs Harbour

$360

$281

$245

Cooma

$360

$281

$245

Dubbo

$360

$281

$245

Gosford

$360

$289

$262

Goulburn

$360

$281

$245

Gunnedah

$360

$281

$245

Maitland

$360

$301

$274

Mudgee

$360

$284

$257

Muswellbrook

$360

$281

$245

Newcastle

$360

$301

$274

Nowra

$360

$281

$245

Orange

$360

$298

$271

Port Macquarie

$360

$281

$245

Queanbeyan

$360

$282

$255

Tamworth

$360

$281

$245

Tumut

$360

$281

$245

Wagga Wagga

$360

$290

$263

Wollongong

$360

$285

$258

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Alice Springs

$360

$299

$272

Jabiru

$362

$341

$314

Katherine

$360

$283

$256

Tennant Creek

$360

$281

$245

Yulara

$414

$393

$366

QUEENSLAND

Ayr

$360

$281

$245

Bundaberg

$360

$281

$245

Cairns

$360

$289

$262

Charters Towers

$360

$281

$245

Chinchilla

$360

$292

$265

Dalby

$360

$293

$266

Emerald

$360

$305

$278

Gladstone

$360

$336

$309

Gold Coast

$360

$298

$271

Hervey Bay

$360

$306

$279

Horn Island

$360

$329

$302

Innisfail

$360

$281

$245

Kingaroy

$360

$283

$256

Mackay

$360

$310

$283

Mount Isa

$360

$309

$282

Rockhampton

$360

$281

$245

Roma

$360

$288

$261

Thursday Island

$370

$349

$322

Toowoomba

$360

$281

$245

Townsville

$360

$281

$245

Weipa

$360

$287

$260

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Bordertown

$360

$284

$257

Ceduna

$360

$281

$245

Kadina

$360

$281

$245

Mount Gambier

$360

$281

$245

Naracoorte

$360

$281

$245

Port Augusta

$360

$281

$245

Port Lincoln

$360

$281

$245

Port Pirie

$360

$289

$262

Renmark

$360

$281

$245

Whyalla

$360

$294

$267

Wilpena Pound

$360

$316

$289

TASMANIA

Burnie

$360

$298

$271

Devonport

$360

$284

$257

Launceston

$360

$281

$245

Queenstown

$360

$281

$245

VICTORIA

Ararat

$360

$281

$245

Bairnsdale

$360

$281

$245

Ballarat

$360

$281

$245

Benalla

$360

$281

$245

Bendigo

$360

$281

$245

Bright

$360

$301

$274

Castlemaine

$360

$282

$255

Colac

$360

$287

$260

Echuca

$360

$281

$245

Geelong

$360

$281

$245

Hamilton

$360

$281

$245

Horsham

$360

$281

$245

Mildura

$360

$281

$245

Portland

$360

$281

$245

Sale

$360

$281

$245

Seymour

$360

$281

$245

Shepparton

$360

$281

$245

Swan Hill

$360

$281

$245

Warrnambool

$360

$281

$245

Wonthaggi

$360

$287

$260

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Albany

$360

$328

$301

Broome

$403

$382

$355

Bunbury

$360

$304

$277

Carnarvon

$360

$300

$273

Dampier

$360

$324

$297

Derby

$360

$339

$312

Esperance

$360

$281

$245

Exmouth

$425

$404

$377

Geraldton

$360

$324

$297

Halls Creek

$369

$348

$321

Kalgoorlie

$360

$308

$281

Karratha

$517

$496

$469

Kununurra

$372

$351

$324

Newman

$365

$344

$317

Northam

$360

$312

$285

Port Hedland

$465

$444

$417

EXTERNAL TERRITORIES

Christmas Island

$360

$299

$272

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

$455

$434

$407

Norfolk Island

$499

$478

$451

\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

$33

$28

$26

$33

$26

$23

Lunch

$47

$40

$29

$47

$26

$26

Dinner

$65

$55

$49

$65

$51

$45

Incidentals

$27

$27

$19

$27

$27

$19

Total

$172

$150

$123

$172

$130

$113

\n```\n\n \nTable A2.B – Group 2 Country Centres\n\n| Country Centre | Country Centre |\n| --------------------- | -------------------- |\n| Albury (NSW) | Kadina (SA) |\n| Ararat (Vic) | Launceston (Tas) |\n| Armidale (NSW) | Mildura (Vic) |\n| Ayr (Qld) | Mount Gambier (SA) |\n| Bairnsdale (Vic) | Muswellbrook (NSW) |\n| Ballarat (NSW) | Naracoorte (SA) |\n| Bathurst (NSW) | Nowra (NSW) |\n| Benalla (Vic) | Port Augusta (SA) |\n| Bendigo (Vic) | Port Lincoln (SA) |\n| Broken Hill (NSW) | Port Macquarie (NSW) |\n| Bundaberg (Qld) | Portland (Vic) |\n| Ceduna (SA) | Queenstown (Tas) |\n| Charters Towers (Qld) | Renmark (SA) |\n| Coffs Harbour (NSW) | Rockhampton (Qld) |\n| Cooma (NSW) | Sale (Vic) |\n| Dubbo (NSW) | Seymour (Vic) |\n| Echuca (Vic) | Shepparton (Vic) |\n| Esperance (WA) | Swan Hill (Vic) |\n| Geelong (Vic) | Tamworth (NSW) |\n| Goulburn (NSW) | Tennant Creek (NT) |\n| Gunnedah (NSW) | Toowoomba (Qld) |\n| Hamilton (Vic) | Townsville (Qld) |\n| Horsham (Vic) | Tumut (NSW) |\n| Innisfail (Qld) | Warrnambool (Vic) |\n\n \nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2013/16:\n\nOfficial Travel by Office Holders\n\nThis determination as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the tables below. Under the Legislative Instruments 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 Legislative Instruments.\n\nTable of Instruments\n\n| Title | Date of FRLI registration | Date of commencement | Application, saving or transitional provisions |\n| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- |\n| 2013/16 – Official Travel by Office Holders | 22/08/2013F2013L01606 | 1/09/2013 | - |\n| 2013/20 – Remuneration and Allowances for Holders of Public Office | 25/09/2013L201301743 | Cl 3.1, 3.2 - 26/09/2013 | - |\n| 2014/15 – Official Travel by Office Holders | 11/08/2014F2014L01084 | 31/08/2014 | - |\n\n \nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2013/16:\n\nOfficial Travel by Office Holders\n\nTable of Amendments\n\nad. = added or inserted am. = amended rs. = repealed and substituted rep. = repealed\n\n| Provision affected | How affected |\n| ------------------ | ---------------------- |\n| Part 1 | |\n| Schedule A | |\n| Clause A1 | am 2014/15 |\n| Table A1.A | am 2013/20, am 2014/15 |\n| Table A2.A | am 2014/15 |\n| Table A2.B | am 2014/15 |\n| Part 3 | |\n| Clause 3.11 | am 2014/15 |\n| Sub clause 3.11.1 | am 2014/15 |\n| Part 4 | |\n| Table 4A | am 2014/15 |","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":1966},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The determination maintains the established scope of regulating official travel entitlements for specified office holders. It replaces and supersedes Determination 2004/03 without expanding beyond the original purpose of setting travel standards, classes of travel, and allowance rates for the Tribunal's jurisdiction."},"complexity_factors":["Three-tier classification system (Tier 1/2/3) with different entitlements for each tier","Extensive tabular data with location-specific dollar amounts for 70+ Australian and international destinations","Cross-references to external instruments (Taxation Determination TD 2014/19 for overseas meal rates)","Multiple conditional provisions requiring employer certification (accompanied travel, high-cost accommodation, private vehicle use)","Nested calculation rules for partial allowances when accommodation or meals are provided by third parties","9 defined terms including 'office locality', 'commercial accommodation', and 'de facto partner' definitions"],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination, made by the Remuneration Tribunal, sets rules and payment rates for official travel by senior Australian Government office holders (judges, secretaries, PEOs, SSOs and similar). It defines travel classes and upgrade rules, fixed daily allowances by location and seniority, partner travel only where employer certifies Commonwealth interest, private car kilometre rates, and principles forbidding profit or private use of benefits.\n\nIt standardises and controls roughly $20m+ in annual taxpayer spending on senior official travel."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This Determination expressly revokes and supersedes the earlier Determination 2004/03 (Part 1, cl 3) and updates the framework and monetary rates for official travel. Subsequent amendments and separate Tribunal determinations listed in the Notes/Tables (e.g. 2013/20, 2014/15) alter rates and specific clauses (see Table of Amendments). The core scope—covering travel entitlements for listed office types—remains, but the instrument modifies entitlements, payment calculations and cross‑instrument override rules (Part 1, cl 4), so application differs from the prior instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Numerous, location‑specific allowance tables (Schedule A Table A1.A) with differing rates by tier and locality increase administrative detail and lookup complexity.","Multiple travel tiers and class entitlements govern what air class an office holder may use (Part 2, Table 2A).","Cross‑instrument interactions: other Remuneration Tribunal determinations can override or limit application (Part 1, cl 4), and overseas meal rates reference an external Taxation Determination (cl 3.11).","Discretionary certification points where an employer must certify 'demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth' for accompanied travel or high‑cost accommodation (Part 2 cl 2.3; Part 3 cl 3.5).","Partial payment and offset rules (reductions where accommodation or meals are paid by another entity; cl 3.2) require evidence and calculation against component tables (Table A2.A).","Vehicle allowance bands by engine capacity (Table 4A) add branching logic for kilometre claims (Part 4).","Multiple amendment and commencement dates (Notes/Table of Instruments/Table of Amendments) complicate which rates apply for given travel dates."],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets the rules for official travel by specified Commonwealth office holders: it fixes travel classes by tier (air travel), per‑night travelling allowances by destination and tier, motor‑vehicle kilometre rates, and rules on upgrades and accompanied travel. It applies to judicial officers, public office holders, secretaries, specified statutory and principal executive offices. It matters because it tells agencies who pays what, how reimbursements are calculated, and what employer certification or administrative steps are required when travel costs are met by the Commonwealth."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders","history":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders/history","analysis":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2013-16-official-travel-by-office-holders/documents"}}