Employee travel
Subject to available funds in the electorate support budget, electorate employees may travel as directed by the employing parliamentarian anywhere within Australia on official business.
Personal employees may travel on official business anywhere within Australia as directed by the employing parliamentarian. All employees must travel by the most efficient direct route available. Personal employees and nominated electorate employees, whose work base is not Canberra, are limited to a maximum of 120 nights of travel allowance in Canberra or the employing parliamentarian’s electorate office (where there is an approved non-standard work base) per financial year. Each personal employee or nominated staff member has an individual budget of 120 nights. Once this limit has been reached, travel allowance cannot be paid at these locations.
A parliamentarian may direct an employee to assist them in carrying out their duties as a Member of Parliament, including undertaking activities that support or facilitate the conduct of their parliamentary business.
It is an employee’s responsibility (and hence the employee’s cost) to transport themselves to and from their work base for normal hours of duty (or between accommodation and work when travelling on official business away from their work base). This includes travel to and from work when the employee’s work base is distant from the employee’s home.
The Commonwealth will not meet the costs of travel between home and any employee’s work base, regardless of the distance between an employee’s work base and home, other than in the circumstances set out at item 16 of the Staff Travel and Relief Staff Arrangements Determination 2023/10.
For more information on staff travel budgets, refer to Travel budgets.
Class of travel
Employees at the level of adviser and below may access fares at economy class for the most reasonable and usual route between the departure and destination points, unless otherwise determined by the Special Minister of State.
Employees at the level of senior adviser and above may access fares not exceeding the cost of a business class airfare for the most reasonable and usual route between the departure and destination points.
However, employees at the level of adviser and below who are employed by a Minister, Assistant Minister, Opposition Office Holder or Presiding Officer may be directed to travel at business class when on the same aircraft as their employing member, where there is a working need to do so. It is recommended that you contact IPEA before making travel arrangements to confirm it is within the legislative framework.
Travel allowance
Employees are paid travel allowance when directed to travel on official business by their employing parliamentarian, where the travel requires an overnight stay away from the employee’s work base.
Employees' current travel allowance rates.
There are commercial and non-commercial rates:
- Commercial travel allowance rates are paid for commercial accommodation providers (i.e. accommodation offered to the public at large in the pursuit of profit , including AirBnb). Before making a booking, employees wanting to claim commercial accommodation should consider whether their accommodation invoice will meet IPEA’s commercial accommodation invoice requirements, which include the employee’s name, dates of stay and that the balance has been paid in full. Please note, a booking confirmation does not meet these requirements.
- Non-commercial travel allowance rates are paid for stays in non-commercial accommodation, such as the home of a family member or friend.
Travel allowance is payable for each overnight stay up to a maximum period of 35 consecutive nights in one location. If an employee remains in a location for longer than 35 consecutive nights, a revised rate of travel allowance, based on actual expenses and up to the maximum of the rate in that location, will be paid for subsequent nights.
The arrangements for claiming travel allowance are set out in the MoPS Enterprise Agreement and its accompanying guidelines.
- Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027
- Enterprise Agreement Guidelines (access guidelines on right hand menu)
Work base
An employee’s work base is defined as the place where they spend most time on duty, as agreed between the employee and the parliamentarian.
Particular care should be taken in nominating the work base of casual or short-term non‑ongoing employees who will be directed to travel.
If the travel is for the majority of their period of employment, the work base is the location to which the employee travels. Therefore, there may be no reason to claim travel expenses for travel at Commonwealth expense as it is the employee’s expense to travel between their home and their work base. Travel allowance would not be paid at the location to which the employee travels as it is their work base.
Parliamentarians requiring employees to support them in Canberra may wish to consider directing an ongoing electorate employee or a longer-term non-ongoing employee to travel.
Further information about establishing a work base is available on the Ministerial and Parliamentary Services website.
Personal stopovers
With the approval of the employing parliamentarian, an employee may make a stopover for personal reasons in the course of travel on official business by the most efficient direct route available.
A personal stopover may be taken before official business commences, after official business has been completed, or between adjacent periods of official business. The personal stopover must be at a location where the employee has been directed to travel or at a usual point en-route to the destination.
For example, travel from Hobart to Canberra may have a usual stop in Melbourne but not Brisbane; Brisbane is not a usual point en-route between Hobart and Canberra.
A personal stopover is permitted with the approval of the employing parliamentarian provided:
- the stopover is for a maximum of two (2) nights only
- no annual leave is taken as part of the stopover
- no travel allowance is claimed
- any additional costs for fares and all costs for ground transport and accommodation related to the stopover are paid by the employee.
To determine whether there are additional costs for fares, the comparison must be between fares of the same class. CTM can assist with the cost comparison.
IPEA initiates cost recovery action of the full cost of the fares if an employee has gained a personal benefit or taken a personal stopover outside the provisions.
IPEA highly encourages employees to seek advice before undertaking a personal stopover to ensure it is within the provisions.
Motor vehicle allowance
An employee may be directed by their employing parliamentarian to use their privately-owned vehicle or a self-drive hire vehicle, at their own expense, for the purpose of official business. That is, the employing parliamentarian considers that it results in greater efficiency or involves less expense. In this circumstance, the employee is paid motor vehicle allowance.
The current private vehicle allowance rate is listed on the Travel rates page.
Motor vehicle allowance is not subject to withholding tax up to 5,000km per financial year. After 5,000km, IPEA withholds tax in accordance with ATO requirements.
Claiming travel allowance and/or motor vehicle allowance
To claim travel allowance and/or motor vehicle allowance, employee can lodge a Travel Allowance claim in PEMS. For guidance on how to claim expenses in PEMS, refer to Create a travel allowance claim.
Alternatively, a staff travelling and/or motor vehicle allowance claim form can be completed and sent to forms@ipea.gov.au with supporting documentation.
IPEA aims to process correct claims within 7 working days, with bank transfer processes adding a further 24-48 hours.
Acquittal claim (approved after completion of travel)
A travel allowance claim is considered an acquittal when it is certified by the parliamentarian or authorised person after the completion of travel.
The claim is processed by IPEA, and no further action is required.
Advance claim (approved before completion of travel)
Travel allowance claims are considered an advance when it is certified by the parliamentarian or authorised person on or before the last date of travel.
Advance travel allowance claims are processed and paid by IPEA 5 days prior to the commence of travel, where possible.
Upon the completion of travel, the employee receives an automatic email stating that the travel claim is ready to be acquitted. This requires the employee to open the claim in PEMS and confirm if the travel was undertaken as originally claimed or modify the claim if travel plans changed. In both circumstances, the claim needs to be submitted to the parliamentarian or authorised person for certification. Once certified, IPEA will verify the claim. If there has been changes made to the claim, IPEA will pay any owing allowances or notify the claimant if an overpayment has occurred and provide repayment options.
If an advance claim is not acquitted with 28 days of the completion of travel, it becomes outstanding and as a result, new travel allowance claims cannot be submitted until the outstanding acquittal has been completed.
For guidance on how to acquit an advance travel claim in PEMS, refer to Acquit a travel allowance claim.
Car transport
Subject to the general conditions that apply to all travel on official business as directed by the employing parliamentarian, employees may use:
- taxis
- regulated ride-sharing services
- hire cars
Short-term self-drive cars hired through the travel services provider, or with any car hire company, provided that:
- the hire is of no more than 10 days duration
- the vehicle is not used for journeys within Canberra
- the vehicle is not used for journeys within a city/town where the employer’s electorate or other office is located, except by employees of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, or the leader of a minority party.
For the purposes of car hire by employees, a capital city, other than Canberra, is defined by the boundaries of the electorates identified as urban on the Federal Electoral Boundaries map published from time to time by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Canberra includes locations within a 30km radius of Parliament House.
Self-drive hire cars should be used on weekdays only unless exceptional circumstances apply and the parliamentarian has approved the use.
The cost of insurance may be included in the cost of self-drive car hire where it is purchased as part of the vehicle hire. It is the responsibility of employees to ensure that they arrange the appropriate level of insurance for the circumstances of the hire. To reduce liability to the Commonwealth in case of loss or damage to the vehicle, this will usually be the highest level of insurance cover available.
Employees are provided, on the request of the employing parliamentarian or authorised person, with a Cabcharge card for taxi travel.
Employees are not entitled to use taxis, regulated ridesharing services, hire cars or short-term self-drive hire cars at Commonwealth expense for private use.
As noted above, it is the employee’s responsibility (and hence the employee’s cost) to transport themselves to and from their work base for normal hours of duty (or between accommodation and work when travelling on official business away from their work base). However, exceptions to this rule apply to the use of car transport in the following circumstances:
- the trip is approved for personal safety reasons (for example, where the risk to personal safety is significantly increased due to the requirement to work late)
- the employee is travelling on official business and scheduled public transport services are not readily available
- the employee is travelling on official business and is carrying luggage to/from the office for the purpose of the trip.
Employees authorised by the employing parliamentarian to travel on official business may be reimbursed their toll and parking costs. Such costs must be reasonable (e.g. it is generally expected that long-stay parking is used at an airport) to be eligible for full reimbursement.
Toll and parking costs are not reimbursed where incurred during a personal stopover or a period of leave.
Employees will not be reimbursed for valet parking costs, except for costs incurred at the accommodation occupied by the employee for travel on official business involving an overnight stay.
Costs of all car transport for electorate employees are subject to the electorate support budget, other than for nominated electorate employees. For more information on the electorate support budget, refer to Travel budgets.
Parliamentarians are encouraged to undertake a regular checking process to ensure that Cabcharge expenditure is correctly recorded and within the rules.
From time to time, IPEA will undertake a detailed check of Cabcharge expenditure and further explanation will be requested if a trip appears to have been undertaken between the office and accommodation outside of the rules.
The employing parliamentarian will be asked to certify if any of the above exceptions applied to the travel undertaken.
Claiming travel expenses
To claim travel expenses, employees can lodge a Travel Expense claim in PEMS. For guidance on how to claim expenses in PEMS, refer to Create a travel expense claim.
Alternatively, a staff travel expenses reimbursement claim form can be completed and sent to forms@ipea.gov.au with supporting documentation.
IPEA aims to process correct claims within 7 working days, with bank transfer processes adding a further 24-48 hours.
Same day travel allowance
The Commonwealth may introduce a guideline providing for same day travel allowance during the nominal life of the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024-27.
IPEA is working closely with Ministerial and Parliamentary Services, within the Department of Finance, who are establishing the relevant policy frameworks and associated system capability to allow for a same day travel allowance guideline and functionality to be progressed. Updates will be communicated with staff accordingly.
Travel outside the rules
IPEA monitors employees’ travel.
If an employee travels to a destination or at a class of travel outside the rules, it is brought to the attention of the employing parliamentarian.
Cost recovery action may be initiated to recover any payment for that travel, as a debt due to the Commonwealth.
More information
- Domestic travel
- International travel
- Travel allowance
- Motor Vehicle Allowance
- Self-drive car hire
- Booking domestic and international travel
- Enterprise Agreement Guidelines
- MOPS Act staff travel related guidelines
- MOPS Act determinations and directions
Travel profile number and cabcharge request (PDF, 305.78 KB) - For travel related queries, contact IPEA by phone on (02) 6215 3000, or email enquiries@ipea.gov.au.
