Military Financial Regulations (Amendment)

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Statutory Rules

1974 No. 256

REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1973.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL of Australia, acting with the advice of the Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1973.

Dated this nineteenth day of December, 1974.

JOHN R. KERR

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

R. BISHOP

Postmaster-General for and on behalf

of the Minister of State for Defence.

Amendments of the Military Financial Regulations†

Rates of travelling allowance.

1. Regulation 99 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1) and substituting the following table:—

Rank	Rate per day for residence in a capital city	Rate per day for residence in a place other than a capital city
	$	$
Major-General or Brigadier ........................	31.50	22.50
Any lower rank ................................	22.50	17.00

Reduction of allowance where rations or quarters are provided or fare includes subsistence.

2. Regulation 101 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (3) and substituting the following table:—

Rank	Rate per day
	$
Major-General or Brigadier ..........................................	2.95
Any lower rank ..................................................	2.65

* Notified in the Australian Government Gazette on 23 December 1974.

† Statutory Rules 1966, No. 35, as amended to date. For previous amendments of the Military Financial Regulations see footnote † to Statutory Rules 1974, No. 159 and see also Statutory Rules 1974, Nos. 159 and 201. See also the Defence Force (Salaries) Regulations (Statutory Rules 1973, No. 100, as amended by 1973, Nos. 132, 201, 203, 249 and 269; and 1974, Nos. 71, 77, 90, 92, 93 and 208).

Meal allowance.

3. Regulation 107 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (2) and substituting the following sub-regulation:—

“ (2) The rates at which meal allowance is payable to a member are—

(a) for breakfast—One dollar sixty cents;

(b) for a mid-day meal—One dollar fifty cents; and

Senior appointments.

4. Regulation 189 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1) and substituting the following table:—

Appointment	Rate per annum
	$
Citizen Military Forces Member of the Military Board ........................	6,058
Commander of a Division ...........................................	5,797
Commander of a Communication Zone ..................................	4,899
Commander of a Task Force ..........................................	4,899
Chief of Staff, Headquarters, 1st Division .................................	4,899
Commander of an Officer Training Group—
(a) if the rank for the appointment according to the Establishment of the Military Forces is a Brigadier	4,899
(b) in any other case ............................................	3,610
Commander, Royal Artillery in a Command—
(a) if the rank for the appointment according to the Establishment of the Military Forces is a Brigadier	4,899
(b) in any other case ............................................	3,610
Commander of a Support Group .......................................	3,610
Senior Medical Officer—
Consultant Colonel C.M.F., 2nd Military District ...........................	4,703
Consultant Colonel C.M.F., 3rd Military District ...........................	4,703
Colonel Medical, 1st Division .......................................	4,703
Chaplain-General—
Church of England ...............................................	3,420
Roman Catholic .................................................	3,420
Presbyterian ...................................................	2,794
Methodist .....................................................	2,794
United Churches ................................................	2,794
Senior Jewish Chaplain ............................................	1,801

Rates of pay for members other than senior appointments.

5. Regulation 190 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1) and substituting the following table:—

Rank	Rate per day
	$
Major-General .. .. .. .. .. ..	61.46
Brigadier .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	51.83
Colonel .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	37.58
Lieutenant-Colonel .. .. .. .. .. ..	33.75
Major .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	27.69
Captain .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	20.66
Lieutenant .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	16.43
Second Lieutenant .. .. .. .. .. ..	15.39
Warrant Officer, Class 1 .. .. .. .. ..	22.27
Warrant Officer, Class 2 .. .. .. .. ..	20.11
Staff Sergeant (or relative rank) .. .. .. ..	17.00
Sergeant .. .. .. .. .. .. ..	12.89
Corporal (or relative rank) .. .. .. .. ..	10.10
Lance Corporal (or relative rank) .. .. .. ..	9.44
Private (or relative rank) .. .. .. .. ..	9.06

(b) by omitting the table in sub-regulation (2) and substituting the following table:—

Rank	Rate per day
	$
Brigadier ..............................................	56.66
Colonel ...............................................	50.75
Lieutenant-Colonel .......................................	47.02
Major ................................................	33.33
Captain ...............................................	26.31

Classification	Rate per day
	$
Chaplain Second Class (Lieutenant-Colonel) ......................	30.33
Chaplain Third Class (Major) ................................	25.12
Chaplain Fourth Class (Captain) ...............................	20.66

(d) by omitting the table in sub-regulation (5) and substituting the following table:—

Rank	Rate per day
	$
Colonel ...............................................	30.16
Lieutenant-Colonel .......................................	27.09
Major ................................................	22.25
Captain ...............................................	16.62
Lieutenant .............................................	13.23
Second Lieutenant ........................................	12.41
Warrant Officer, Class 1 ....................................	20.86
Warrant Officer, Class 2 ....................................	19.13
Staff Sergeant ...........................................	16.63
Sergeant ...............................................	12.52
Corporal ..............................................	9.90
Lance Corporal ..........................................	9.38
Private ...............................................	9.06

and

(e) by omitting from sub-regulation (13) the words “ Seven dollars seventy-seven cents ” and substituting the words “ Eight dollars seventy-eight cents ”.

Hard-lying allowance.

6. Regulation 204 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (3) and substituting the following sub-regulation:—

“ (3) The rate at which hard-lying allowance is payable is One dollar per day.”.

Application.

7. (1) The amendments effected by regulations 1, 2 and 3 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 30 May 1974. (2) The amendments effected by regulations 4, 5 and 6 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 1974.

Overview

Statutory Rules 1974 No. 256, titled "Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1973," was enacted by the Governor-General of Australia, acting with the advice of the Executive Council, to amend the Military Financial Regulations. This legislative instrument aimed to address the need for updated financial allowances and rates for military personnel in line with prevailing economic conditions and operational requirements. The Regulations were made under the authority of the Defence Act 1903-1973, and the policy objective was to ensure that military allowances remained fair and reflective of the cost of living, thus maintaining the morale and welfare of Defence Force members. The changes primarily focused on adjusting the rates of allowances for travel, meals, and hard-lying, among others, to provide a more equitable compensation structure for the military personnel.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1973 primarily apply to members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), specifically targeting the financial aspects of their service. The scope encompasses various ranks within the ADF, from Major-General down to Private, as well as certain senior appointments such as Commander of a Division or Chief of Staff, Headquarters, 1st Division. These regulations govern financial matters including rates of pay, allowances for travel, meals, and hard-lying conditions. The Regulations also extend to Chaplains, detailing their respective allowances based on rank. The geographic reach of these regulations is inherently tied to the ADF, operating across Australia as it is a national defence force. There are no explicit exclusions or thresholds mentioned within the text, but the applicability is inherently limited to those within the ADF structure. The amendments to these regulations are made under the authority of the Defence Act, and the implementation dates specified ensure that different changes take effect at staggered times, with some changes retroactive to May 30, 1974, and others effective from July 1, 1974.

Key Provisions

These regulations amend the Military Financial Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1973. Regulation 1 updates the rates of travelling allowance for members of the military, with Major-Generals or Brigadiers receiving $31.50 per day in capital cities and $22.50 in other locations, and lower ranks receiving $22.50 and $17.00 respectively (section 1). Regulation 2 adjusts the reduction of allowance for members provided with rations or quarters, with Major-Generals or Brigadiers receiving $2.95 per day and lower ranks receiving $2.65 per day (section 2). Regulation 3 revises the meal allowance rates, setting $1.60 for breakfast, $1.50 for a midday meal, and $2.45 for an evening meal (section 3). Regulation 4 modifies the rates of pay for senior appointments, with variations based on the specific role and rank, ranging from $6,058 for a Citizen Military Forces Member of the Military Board to $1,801 for a Senior Jewish Chaplain (section 4). Regulation 5 updates the rates of pay for members other than senior appointments, with Major-Generals receiving $61.46 per day, Brigadiers $51.83 per day, and so forth, down to Privates receiving $9.06 per day (section 5). Regulation 6 sets the rate of hard-lying allowance at $1 per day (section 6). The regulations impose specific financial obligations on the Defence Force, ensuring that members receive accurate and updated compensation in line with their rank, role, and conditions of service. Failure to comply with these financial regulations may lead to administrative and financial discrepancies, impacting the equitable treatment of military personnel. While the regulations do not explicitly detail offences or penalties for non-compliance, breaches could potentially result in disciplinary actions or financial liabilities under the Defence Act or other applicable laws.

Area of Law: Military Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Offence Provisions; Compensation & Benefits

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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