{"id":"F2015L01293","name":"Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2015/11 - Official Travel by Office Holders","slug":"remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":143619,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2015L01293-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","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Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"PART 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"GENERAL","content":"# PART 1 – GENERAL\n\n1.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.\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 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\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 2015/14 (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 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 30 August 2015.\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

$382

$359

$281

Brisbane

$430

$408

$329

Canberra

$419

$374

$292

Darwin

$460

$438

$340

Hobart

$368

$327

$256

Melbourne

$438

$379

$297

Perth

$472

$411

$357

Sydney

$438

$397

$309

COUNTRY CENTRES

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

$368

$258

$225

NEW SOUTH WALES

Albury

$368

$283

$247

Armidale

$368

$283

$247

Bathurst

$368

$283

$247

Bourke

$368

$316

$289

Broken Hill

$368

$283

$247

Coffs Harbour

$368

$283

$247

Cooma

$368

$283

$247

Dubbo

$368

$283

$247

Gosford

$368

$291

$264

Goulburn

$368

$283

$247

Gunnedah

$368

$283

$247

Maitland

$368

$303

$276

Mudgee

$368

$286

$259

Muswellbrook

$368

$283

$247

Newcastle

$368

$306

$279

Nowra

$368

$283

$247

Orange

$368

$306

$279

Port Macquarie

$368

$283

$247

Queanbeyan

$368

$284

$257

Tamworth

$368

$283

$247

Tumut

$368

$283

$247

Wagga Wagga

$368

$292

$265

Wollongong

$368

$287

$260

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Alice Springs

$368

$301

$274

Jabiru

$368

$343

$316

Katherine

$368

$285

$258

Tennant Creek

$368

$283

$247

Yulara

$453

$431

$404

QUEENSLAND

Ayr

$368

$283

$247

Bundaberg

$368

$283

$247

Cairns

$368

$291

$264

Charters Towers

$368

$283

$247

Chinchilla

$368

$294

$267

Dalby

$368

$295

$268

Emerald

$368

$307

$280

Gladstone

$368

$338

$311

Gold Coast

$368

$300

$273

Hervey Bay

$368

$308

$281

Horn Island

$373

$351

$324

Innisfail

$368

$283

$247

Kingaroy

$368

$285

$258

Mackay

$368

$312

$285

Mount Isa

$368

$311

$284

Rockhampton

$368

$283

$247

Roma

$368

$290

$263

Thursday Island

$373

$351

$324

Toowoomba

$368

$283

$247

Townsville

$368

$283

$247

Weipa

$368

$289

$262

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Bordertown

$368

$286

$259

Ceduna

$368

$283

$247

Kadina

$368

$283

$247

Mount Gambier

$368

$283

$247

Naracoorte

$368

$283

$247

Port Augusta

$368

$283

$247

Port Lincoln

$368

$283

$247

Port Pirie

$368

$291

$264

Renmark

$368

$283

$247

Whyalla

$368

$307

$280

Wilpena Pound

$368

$318

$291

TASMANIA

Burnie

$368

$311

$284

Devonport

$368

$291

$264

Launceston

$368

$283

$247

Queenstown

$368

$283

$247

VICTORIA

Ararat

$368

$283

$247

Bairnsdale

$368

$283

$247

Ballarat

$368

$283

$247

Benalla

$368

$283

$247

Bendigo

$368

$283

$246

Bright

$368

$303

$276

Castlemaine

$368

$291

$264

Colac

$368

$289

$262

Echuca

$368

$283

$247

Geelong

$368

$283

$247

Hamilton

$368

$283

$247

Horsham

$368

$283

$247

Mildura

$368

$283

$247

Portland

$368

$283

$247

Sale

$368

$283

$247

Seymour

$368

$283

$247

Shepparton

$368

$283

$247

Swan Hill

$368

$283

$247

Warrnambool

$368

$283

$247

Wonthaggi

$368

$289

$262

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Albany

$368

$330

$303

Broome

$433

$411

$384

Bunbury

$368

$306

$279

Carnarvon

$368

$302

$275

Dampier

$368

$326

$299

Derby

$368

$341

$314

Esperance

$368

$286

$259

Exmouth

$428

$406

$379

Geraldton

$368

$326

$299

Halls Creek

$372

$350

$323

Kalgoorlie

$368

$310

$283

Karratha

$520

$498

$471

Kununurra

$375

$353

$326

Newman

$368

$346

$319

Northam

$368

$314

$287

Port Hedland

$468

$446

$419

EXTERNAL TERRITORIES

Christmas Island

$368

$331

$304

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

$458

$436

$409

Norfolk Island

$502

$480

$453

\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

$34

$29

$26

$34

$26

$24

Lunch

$47

$40

$30

$47

$27

$27

Dinner

$66

$56

$50

$66

$52

$46

Incidentals

$27

$27

$19

$27

$27

$19

Total

$174

$152

$125

$174

$132

$116

\n```\n\n \nTable A2.B – Group 2 Country Centres\n\n| Country Centre | Country Centre |\n| --------------------- | -------------------- |\n| Albury (NSW) | Launceston (Tas) |\n| Ararat (Vic) | Mildura (Vic) |\n| Armidale (NSW) | Mount Gambier (SA) |\n| Ayr (Qld) | Muswellbrook (NSW) |\n| Bairnsdale (Vic) | Naracoorte (SA) |\n| Ballarat (NSW) | Nowra (NSW) |\n| Bathurst (NSW) | Port Augusta (SA) |\n| Bega (NSW) | Port Lincoln (SA) |\n| Benalla (Vic) | Port Macquarie (NSW) |\n| Bendigo (Vic) | Port Pirie (SA) |\n| Broken Hill (NSW) | Portland (Vic) |\n| Bundaberg (Qld) | Queanbeyan (NSW) |\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| Geelong (Vic) | Swan Hill (Vic) |\n| Goulburn (NSW) | Tamworth (NSW) |\n| Griffith (NSW) | Tennant Creek (NT) |\n| Gunnedah (NSW) | Toowoomba (Qld) |\n| Hamilton (Vic) | Townsville (Qld) |\n| Horsham (Vic) | Tumut (NSW) |\n| Innisfail (Qld) | Wangaratta (Vic) |\n| Kadina (SA) | Warrnambool (Vic) |\n\nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2015/11:\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| Title | Registration | Date of commencement | Application, saving or transitional provisions |\n| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |\n| Determination 2015/11: Official Travel by Office Holders | 20/08/2015F2015L01293 | 30/08/2015 | - |\n| Determination 2016/05: Remuneration and Allowances for Holders of Public Offices and Official Travel by Office Holders | 17/06/2016F2016L01041 | Cl 3.1, 3.4 – 18/06/2016Cl 3.2, 3.3 – 1/07/2016 | - |\n\n \n\nNotes to Remuneration Tribunal Determination 2015/11:\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| Part 1 | |\n| Clause 1.2 | rep LIA s 48D |\n| Clause 1.3 | rep LIA s 48C |\n| Part 4 | |\n| Clause 4.2 (b) | am 2016/05 |\n| Table 4A | rep 2016/05 |","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The core scope (which office categories are covered) remains but specific application has been altered by later instruments and amendments: the Table of Instruments shows a 2016 Determination (2016/05) that amended clause 4.2(b) and repealed Table 4A, and the Table of Amendments records repeals under the Legislative Instruments Act (Notes). Those changes adjust operational provisions (e.g. agency vehicle/vehicle‑use rules) rather than the broad list of covered office types (Part 1, Schedule A; Table of Instruments; Table of Amendments)."},"complexity_factors":["Tiered entitlements and travel classes (Part 2, Table 2A) create multiple entitlement paths depending on the office holder’s travel Tier.","Large, locality‑specific overnight allowance schedule (Schedule A, Table A1.A) with separate meal/incidental breakdown (Table A2.A) increases administrative complexity for claimants and payroll.","Conditional payments and offsets (cl. 3.2–3.3): reduced payments when accommodation or meals are paid by another entity, and a one‑third rate for non‑commercial accommodation, require evidentiary checks.","Agency discretion to certify accompanied travel and unavoidable high‑cost accommodation (Part 2.3, Part 3.4) concentrates decision‑making and creates discretionary approval burden.","Interaction with other instruments: other Tribunal determinations can exclude or limit application (Part 1.2), and overseas meal/incidentals rely on a separate Taxation Determination (cl. 3.11), creating cross‑instrument dependencies.","Rules on upgrades and accompanying persons (Part 2.1–2.3) include subjective tests like “demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth”, inviting interpretive judgment.","Vehicle provisions mix reimbursement methods (rental paid or 66c/km private vehicle) and insurance requirements (Part 4), requiring verification and record‑keeping.","Amendments and repeals recorded in the Notes (Table of Amendments) mean practitioners must track historical changes to determine current scope."],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets entitlement rules for official travel by specified Commonwealth office holders: it assigns travel tiers and classes (Table 2A), fixes overnight travelling allowances for accommodation, meals and incidentals (Schedule A), and prescribes vehicle allowances, upgrades and accompanied‑travel rules. It also limits double payments and private use of frequent‑flyer points. The Commonwealth (the “employer”) pays approved costs; agencies must certify accompanied travel and unavoidable higher accommodation, and other Remuneration Tribunal determinations may override these rules (Part 1–4, Schedule A)."},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-realtime","completionTokens":3070},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Determination remains strictly focused on its original purpose of regulating official travel entitlements, allowances and vehicle use for office holders under the Tribunal's jurisdiction. The scope has not expanded beyond setting the conditions and monetary rates for work-related travel."},"complexity_factors":["Three-tier classification system (Tier 1, 2, 3) creating differentiated entitlements across flight classes, accommodation rates and meal allowances","Extensive cross-referencing to other Remuneration Tribunal Determinations and the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 for jurisdiction and overriding provisions","Dynamic incorporation of external legal instruments (Taxation Determination TD 2015/14) for overseas meal rates","Detailed schedules containing location-specific dollar amounts for over 80 Australian cities, country centres and external territories","Multiple conditional exceptions requiring administrative assessment: upgrade eligibility for long flights, employer certification for accompanied travel, reduction for non-commercial accommodation, and additional payments for unavoidable high-cost accommodation","Nine defined terms including specialised concepts like 'employer' (which includes the Commonwealth and authorised persons) and 'partner' (referencing the Acts Interpretation Act 1901)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination sets travel classes, daily allowances and expense rules for senior Australian Government office holders grouped into three tiers. It prescribes who flies what class, flat-rate overnight allowances by tier and destination (with reduced rates for staying with friends/family or where costs are met), partner travel only if certified in the Commonwealth’s interest, overseas rates tied to ATO bands, car-kilometre reimbursement, and a requirement to seek value for money so officials are not better or worse off by travel."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders","history":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders/history","analysis":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/remuneration-tribunal-determination-2015-11-official-travel-by-office-holders/documents"}}