Statutory Rules 1981 No. 1891
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Military Financial Regulations2 (Amendment)
I, THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES acting for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence, hereby make the following Interim Determination under section 12 of the Defence Amendment Act 1979.
Dated 29 June 1981.
KEVIN NEWMAN
Minister of State for Administrative Services for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence
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Allowances payable in respect of authorized journey
1. Regulation 98 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended—
(a) by omitting the table in paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (1) and substituting the following table:
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 |
Meal | Amount for capital city— Brigadier or any higher rank | Amount other than for capital city— Brigadier or any higher rank | Amount for capital city— Colonel or any lower rank | Amount other than for capital city— Colonel or any lower rank |
| $ | $ | $ | $ |
Breakfast..... | 5.75 | 4.85 | 4.95 | 4.10 |
Lunch....... | 8.20 | 6.25 | 5.35 | 5.10 |
Dinner...... | 11.00 | 8.55 | 9.90 | 7.85 |
(b) by omitting the table in paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (2) and substituting the following table:
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
Amount for capital city— Brigadier or any higher rank | Amount other than for capital city— Brigadier or any higher rank | Amount for capital city— Colonel or any lower rank | Amount other than for capital city— Colonel or any lower rank |
$ | $ | $ | $ |
38.60 | 24.90 | 30.35 | 20.75 |
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(c) by omitting from sub-regulation (3) “$5.90” and “$4.30” and substituting “$6.45” and “$4.70”, respectively.
Meal Allowance
2. Regulation 107 of the Military Financial Regulations is amended by omitting paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of sub-regulation (2) and substituting the following paragraphs:
“(a) for breakfast—$4.15;
(b) for lunch—$5.10; and
(c) for dinner—$6.50.”.
Application
3. The Military Financial Regulations as amended by this Interim Determination apply in relation to—
(a) an authorized journey within the meaning of Division 10 of Part II of those Regulations, or part of such an authorized journey, made on or after 1 May 1981; and
(b) travel in respect of which meal allowance is payable under regulation 107 of those Regulations undertaken on or after 1 May 1981.
NOTES
1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 7 July 1981.
2. Statutory Rules 1966 No. 35 as amended to date. For previous amendments see Note 2 to Statutory Rules 1981 No. 27 and see also Statutory Rules 1981 Nos 27, 55, 69, 105, 130 and 146.
Overview
Statutory Rules 1981 No. 1891, known as the Military Financial Regulations 2 (Amendment), was enacted to address the need for updated meal allowance rates for military personnel. The Interim Determination was made by the Minister of State for Administrative Services acting on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence under section 12 of the Defence Amendment Act 1979. The regulation aims to provide new allowances for meals during authorized journeys for military personnel, effective from 1 May 1981, to ensure that the financial support for military members' meals is fair and reflective of current costs. The policy objective is to maintain the financial well-being of military personnel by adjusting the meal allowances to match the economic conditions of the time.
Scope and Application
The Military Financial Regulations 1966, as amended by Statutory Rules 1981 No. 1891, apply to authorised journeys made by military personnel on or after 1 May 1981, including journeys that are part of a longer authorised journey, as well as travel for which meal allowance is payable under regulation 107 of those Regulations, again, undertaken on or after 1 May 1981. The regulations pertain to all ranks within the military, providing specific meal allowance amounts for different ranks and locations, capital cities versus other areas. This Interim Determination modifies the meal allowances for both authorised journeys and meal allowances, adjusting the rates for different ranks and meal types. The scope of the regulations is limited to authorised journeys and meal allowance payments made on or after the specified date, ensuring that any travel or meal allowance claims occurring before this date are not affected by these amendments.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this Interim Determination (Statutory Rules 1981 No. 1891) involve amendments to the Military Financial Regulations, specifically Regulation 98 and Regulation 107. Regulation 98 is amended by replacing the existing tables detailing meal allowances for different ranks of officers in capital cities and other locations with new tables that reflect updated rates. The new rates are $5.75 for breakfast, $8.20 for lunch, and $11.00 for dinner for Brigadiers or higher-ranking officers in capital cities, while the rates for Colonels or lower-ranking officers are $4.85, $6.25, and $8.55 respectively in capital cities and $4.10, $5.35, and $7.85 in other locations. Additionally, the daily meal allowances for these ranks are updated to $38.60 and $24.90 for Brigadiers or higher in capital cities and other locations, and to $30.35 and $20.75 for Colonels or lower in capital cities and other locations. Regulation 107 is also amended to update the meal allowances for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to $4.15, $5.10, and $6.50 respectively.
The obligations and requirements imposed by this Interim Determination mandate that the updated meal allowance rates be applied to authorized journeys made on or after 1 May 1981, as well as to travel for which meal allowance is payable under Regulation 107, starting from the same date. The new rates must be adhered to by the relevant parties, ensuring that officers are reimbursed according to the specified amounts for their meals during authorized travel.
The Interim Determination does not explicitly state any offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance. However, the importance of adhering to the updated rates is underscored by the detailed amendments, suggesting that failure to apply the correct allowances could lead to disputes or inaccuracies in financial claims. Given the regulatory nature of these amendments, any breaches or non-compliance might be subject to administrative scrutiny, particularly if it results in financial discrepancies or improper reimbursements. The lack of specific penalties in the text implies that the primary consequence of non-compliance would likely be administrative correction or financial adjustment rather than formal legal penalties.