The travel allowance covers the costs of accommodation, meals and incidentals for Members when they are required to stay overnight within Australia, away from their home base, to perform their public duties.
Members receiving the parliamentary accommodation sitting allowance must not claim the travel allowance for stays in metropolitan Melbourne.
The travel allowance must not be used to cover commercial transport costs, which may instead be claimed under the commercial transport allowance.
There is no limit on the number of meals that may be claimed in respect of the overnight stay, provided the total amount does not exceed the amount set in the Determination.
19. Claiming the travel allowance
19.1 A Member may claim the travel allowance for travel costs (excluding transport costs) actually incurred to perform their public duties within Australia for each night that the Member is required to stay away from their home base.
19.2 A Member may only make a claim under sub-guideline (1) if:
19.2.a the claim is for parliamentary business or committee business:
19.2.a.i where the location of the overnight stay is at least 28 kilometres from their home base; or
19.2.a.ii the Member satisfies the relevant Clerk that the shortest practicable route by road between the Member’s home base and the location of the overnight stay is at least 28 kilometres; or
Note: For the avoidance of doubt, a Member may make a claim for an overnight stay for the night immediately preceding and following their parliamentary business or committee business.
19.2.b the claim is for electorate business:
19.2.b.i where the location of the overnight stay is at least 80 kilometres from their home base; or
19.2.b.ii the Member satisfies the relevant Clerk that the shortest practicable route by road between the Member’s home base and the location of the overnight stay is at least 80 kilometres; or
19.2.c the claim is for an overnight stay within the metropolitan area:
19.2.c.i as a result of there being a break of less than 10 hours between when the Member’s House of Parliament adjourns and when it is scheduled to commence sitting the next day; or
19.2.c.ii where the relevant Clerk anticipated that there would be a break of less than 10 hours between when the Member’s House of Parliament would adjourn and when it would commence sitting the next day.
19.3 A Member who claims the parliamentary accommodation sitting allowance must not claim the travel allowance for stays within the metropolitan area.
19.4 A claim under sub-guideline (1) in respect of each overnight stay must not exceed the amount set in the Determination.
19.5 For the avoidance of doubt:
19.5.a the travel allowance rate for the office holders specified in paragraph (a) of the definition of travel allowance rate, in clause 3.2 of the Determination, is calculated by reference to the values listed in column 2 of Schedule B of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination in effect at the time; and
19.5.b the travel allowance rate for other Members is calculated by reference to the values listed in column 3 of Schedule B of the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination in effect at the time.
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