Public Service Regulations (Amendment)

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STATUTORY RULES

1971 No. 12

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REGULATION UNDER THE PUBLIC SERVICE ACT 1922-1968.*

THE PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD, acting in pursuance and exercise of the authority conferred upon it by the Public Service Act 1922-1968, hereby makes, subject to the approval of the Governor-General, the following Regulation.

Dated this twenty-second day of December, 1970.

F. H. WHEELER

Chairman.

J. E. COLLINGS

Commissioner.

A. B. McFARLANE

Commissioner.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby approve the following Regulation.

Dated this eighteenth day of January, 1971.

PAUL HASLUCK

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

ANDREW PEACOCK

Minister of State for the Army for and on

behalf of the Prime Minister.

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Amendment of the Public Service Regulations

Regulation 79c of the Public Service Regulations is repealed and the following regulations are inserted in its stead:—

Reimbursement of fares upon change of location, of branch, &c.

“79c.—(1.) Subject to the succeeding sub-regulations of this regulation, where, after the transfer of the branch of the Public Service in which an officer performs his duties to a new location, the sum of the amounts of the fares paid by the officer in a fortnight for transporting himself to and from his place of employment exceeds the relevant amount by an amount of not less than Fifty cents, the officer is entitled to be paid, by way of an allowance, an amount equal to the amount of the excess.

“(2.) An allowance is not payable to an officer under the last preceding sub-regulation—

(a) if the officer is in receipt of salary exceeding the maximum rate of salary specified in Item 4 of Part II. of the Fourth Schedule to these Regulations; or

 

*Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 1970.

†Statutory Rules 1935, No.18, as amended to date. For previous amendments of the Public Service Regulations see footnote † to Statutory Rules 1971, No. 3, and see also Statutory Rules 1971, Nos. 3 and 4.

20129/70—Price 5c

(b) if the place at which the officer is ordinarily required to attend for the commencement of duty does not change upon the transfer of the branch of the Public Service in which he performs his duties to a new location.

“(3.) For the purpose of ascertaining the sum of the amounts of the fares paid by an officer in a fortnight in transporting himself to and from his place of employment, the fares paid by the officer in so transporting himself on a day in the fortnight on which he attends at his place of employment for the purpose of performing ordinary duty shall, subject to the next succeeding sub-regulation, be taken to be—

(a) if there is available public transport that has a stopping place within one mile of the place of residence of the officer and within one mile of his place of employment and can be used by the officer—

(i) so as to enable him to arrive at the stopping place within one mile of his place of employment within one hour before the time at which he is to commence ordinary duty on that day and, after leaving the transport, to reach his place of employment before that time; and

(ii) so as to enable him to depart from that last-mentioned stopping place within one hour after ceasing duty on that day in order to proceed to his place of residence,

the sum of the fares payable for travelling by that public transport to and from his place of employment;

(b) if—

(i) there is not available on that day public transport as specified in the last preceding paragraph; and

(ii) the officer uses a motor vehicle owned or hired by him for the purpose of transporting himself by the most direct convenient route from his place of residence to his place of employment in order to commence duty on that day and from his place of employment to his place of residence on the completion of duty on that day,

an amount equal to the amount that would be payable under sub-regulation (4.) of regulation 90 of these Regulations if the officer were using the motor vehicle in pursuance of an authority given under sub-regulation (2.) of that regulation; or

(c) in any other case—

(i) an amount equal to the expenses reasonably incurred by the officer in transporting himself from his place of residence to his place of employment in order to commence duty on that day and from his place of employment to his place of residence on the completion of duty on that day; or

(ii) an amount equal to the amount that would be payable under sub-regulation (4.) of regulation 90 of these Regulations if the officer were using, in pursuance of an authority given under sub-regulation (2.) of that regulation, a motor car having a carrying capacity of less than one ton and an engine having four cylinders or less for the purpose of so transporting himself by the most direct convenient route,

whichever is the less.

“(4.) Where—

(a) an officer travels to his place of employment, otherwise than in a motor vehicle owned or hired by him, for the purpose of performing duty on a day but does not incur any expense in transporting himself to and from his place of employment on that day; or

(b) an officer uses a motor vehicle owned or hired by him for the purpose of transporting himself to and from his place of employment on a day and is paid or is entitled to be paid, in respect of the use of the vehicle an allowance under sub-regulation (4.) of regulation 90 of these Regulations,

he shall be taken, for the purpose of this regulation, not to have paid any fares on that day for transporting himself to and from his place of employment.

“(5.) For the purpose of sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation, the relevant amount, in relation to an officer, is the amount ordinarily expended, in a fortnight immediately before the transfer of the branch of the Public Service in which he performs his duties to the new location, by the officer in transporting himself from his place of residence to his place of employment for the purpose of performing ordinary duty and from his place of employment after ceasing duty to his place of residence.

“(6.) An allowance relating to the transfer of a branch to a particular location is not payable to an officer under this regulation—

(a) if the branch is transferred otherwise than from a town in a State or Territory of the Commonwealth to a town in the same State or Territory of the Commonwealth—unless the Board approves payment of the allowance to the officer;

(b) if the officer changes his place of residence after that transfer of the branch—in respect of a fortnight commencing after the date of the change; or

(c) in respect of a fortnight commencing after the expiration of three months after the commencement of the first fortnight in respect of which the officer receives payment of the allowance in relation to that transfer, unless the Board approves payment of the allowance to the officer in respect of the fortnight so commencing.

“(7.) The Board—

(a) shall approve, under paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (6.) of this regulation, payment of an allowance to an officer if special circumstances make it reasonable to pay the allowance notwithstanding that the branch of the Public Service in which the officer performs his duties is transferred otherwise than from a town in a State or Territory of the Commonwealth to a town in the same State or Territory of the Commonwealth; and

(b) shall approve, under paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (6.) of this regulation, payment of an allowance to an officer if special circumstances make it reasonable to continue to pay the allowance after the expiration of the period referred to in that paragraph,

but not otherwise.

“(8.) In this regulation—

(a)a reference to a branch of the Public Service shall be read as including a reference to a division, section or other like part of the Public Service;

(b) a reference to an officer shall be read as including a reference to an employee;

(c) a reference to the place of employment of an officer shall be read as a reference to the place at which the officer is ordinarily required to attend for the commencement of duty;

(d) a reference to public transport shall be read as a reference to transport available to the public by way of regular services over fixed routes; and

(e) a reference to the distance between two places shall be read as a reference to the distance between those places measured along the nearest convenient route suitable for walking.

Aggregation of mileage for purposes of regulations 79c and 90.

“79d. In calculating an allowance under regulation 79C or 90 of these Regulations, any mileage in respect of which an allowance has been paid under the other of those regulations shall be taken into account as if it were mileage in respect of which an allowance had been paid under the regulation under which the allowance is to be calculated.”.

Printed by Authority by the Government Printer of the Commonwealth of Australia

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1971 No. 12, made under the Public Service Act 1922-1968, addresses the reimbursement of fares for public service officers who experience changes in their duty locations. Enacted by the Public Service Board, and approved by the Governor-General, this regulation provides a policy objective to ensure that public service officers are adequately compensated for the additional costs incurred due to changes in their work locations. This regulation ensures that officers who transfer to a new location and face increased travel costs are eligible for a reimbursement allowance. The regulation details specific conditions under which this allowance is applicable, such as the type of transport used and the officer's salary level. It also outlines circumstances where the allowance is not payable, such as if the officer does not change their place of residence following the transfer or if the officer is already receiving a related allowance.

Scope and Application

The Public Service Board, in accordance with the Public Service Act 1922-1968, has enacted these regulations to address the reimbursement of fares for public service officers following a change in their duty location. These regulations apply specifically to officers within the Commonwealth public service who experience a transfer of their branch to a new location. The allowance for excess fares is contingent upon the officer's salary not exceeding the maximum rate specified in the Fourth Schedule and the condition that the officer's place of employment changes as a result of the transfer. Notably, the regulations exclude officers who do not incur any transport expense to their place of employment or are compensated for vehicle use under another regulation. The Board has the discretion to approve allowances in exceptional circumstances, such as transfers between towns within the same state or territory, or to continue payments beyond the standard three-month period. The regulations delineate the conditions under which these allowances are calculated and paid, ensuring that the officers' transport costs are fairly reimbursed within the specified framework.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of this legislation primarily concern the reimbursement of fares for public service officers upon a change of location or branch within the public service. Specifically, Regulation 79c outlines that an officer is entitled to a reimbursement allowance if the total amount spent on transportation to and from their workplace over a fortnight exceeds a specified threshold by at least fifty cents after a branch transfer (Section 79c(1)). However, this allowance is not applicable if the officer's salary exceeds a certain maximum rate or if their place of work does not change with the branch transfer (Section 79c(2)). The regulation provides detailed criteria for determining the allowable transportation costs, considering the availability of public transport, the use of a personal vehicle, or other transport methods (Section 79c(3)–(4)). Additionally, it stipulates that the relevant amount for comparison is the usual fortnightly transportation cost before the transfer (Section 79c(5)). The allowance is subject to further conditions, such as approval by the Board in specific circumstances, and limitations on its duration and applicability after changes in the officer's residence or the expiration of a three-month period (Section 79c(6)–(8)). The obligations imposed by this Act require public service officers to accurately report their transportation costs and ensure they meet the eligibility criteria to claim the reimbursement allowance. They must provide evidence of their transportation expenses to substantiate their claims, adhering to the guidelines set forth in the regulation. The Public Service Board is tasked with reviewing and approving claims under specific conditions, ensuring that the allowances are granted fairly and reasonably. Furthermore, the Board must ensure that the aggregate mileage for calculating allowances under different regulations is correctly accounted for, avoiding double counting (Section 79d). Failure to comply with the provisions of this regulation may result in civil or criminal consequences, although the specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text. Generally, breaches of public service regulations can lead to disciplinary actions, financial penalties, or legal proceedings, depending on the severity and nature of the violation. The precise penalties would be determined based on the applicable laws and regulations governing public service conduct and financial management.

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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.