Part 1 District Allowance

Chapter 6 Locality

Part 1 District allowance

6.1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Part is to compensate for service in an isolated area in Australia recognised as involving disadvantages or hardships due to the locality’s remoteness, the severity of its climate and its cost of living.

6.1.2 Definitions

In this Part:

grade, for a locality, means the grade specified for the locality in Annex 6.1.A or approved by the CDF for the locality under clause 6.1.6.

harbour craft means a vessel that is not liable, in the ordinary course of duty with the Defence Force, to be ordered to sea.

relevant locality means a locality mentioned in Annex 6.1.A or taken to have a grade specified in the Annex under clause 6.1.6.

6.1.3 Member this Part applies to

This Part applies to a member (including a member rendering Reserve service) who:

(a) is posted for duty at, and lives at, a relevant locality; or

(b) serves on temporary duty at a relevant locality for a continuous period of more than 21 days; or

6.1.4 Period of entitlement

(1) For a member to whom paragraph 6.1.3 (a) applies, the period of entitlement to the allowance:

(a) begins on the later of:

(i) the day the member is posted to the relevant locality; and

(ii) the day the member arrives at the relevant locality; and

(b) ends on the day immediately before the member leaves the relevant locality.

(2) For a member to whom paragraph 6.1.3 (b) applies, the period of entitlement to the allowance begins on the day the member begins the period of temporary duty and ends on the day immediately before the member leaves the relevant locality.

(3) For a member to whom paragraph 6.1.3 (c) applies, the period of entitlement to the allowance is:

(a) for a member with dependants who remain at the relevant locality during any absences of the member at sea, on temporary duty or on recreation leave — the period of the posting; and

(b) otherwise — any period that the ship is in port at the relevant locality.

6.1.5 Entitlement to district allowance

(1) The member is entitled to district allowance at the rate, and for the period, worked out under this Part.

(2) However, a member is not entitled to the allowance for any period when the member is entitled to:

(a) Woomera allowance at a rate equal to or exceeding the rate of allowance to which the member would (but for this subclause) be entitled under this Part; or

(b) Antarctic allowance.

6.1.6 Grading of localities

(1) For entitlement to an allowance under this Part, the CDF may approve a locality in Australia to be taken to have a grade specified in Annex 6.1.A if a member performs temporary duty at the locality.

(2) For subclause (1), the CDF must have regard to:

(a) the isolation of the locality; and

(b) the severity of the climate at the locality; and

(c) where available, the cost of living at the locality based on index figures published by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations; and

(d) the grades of nearby localities.

6.1.7 Rate of allowance

(1) The rate of allowance for a member is:

(a) if subclause (2) applies to the member — the rate mentioned for the grade of the member’s relevant locality in column 2 of the table; and

(b) if subclause (3) applies to the member — the rate mentioned for the grade of the member’s relevant locality in column 3 of the table; and

(c) if subclause (4) applies to the member — the rate mentioned for the grade of the member’s relevant locality in column 4 of the table.

(2) This subclause applies to a member living at a relevant locality if:

(a) the member is a member with dependants; and

(b) subclause (3) does not apply to the member.

(3) This subclause applies to a member living at a relevant locality if:

(a) the member lives out and is a member without dependants or a member with dependants (separated); or

(b) the member is a member with dependants, at least one of whom is employed and is paid an allowance by the dependant’s employer similar to district allowance at a rate equal to or higher than the rate of allowance payable to a member to whom subclause (2) applies; or

(c) the member is a member with dependants and each dependant living with the member or the member’s spouse has an annual income of at least $14,363; or

(d) the member’s spouse lives with the member at the relevant locality and is employed by the Commonwealth.

(4) This subclause applies to a member living in at a relevant locality, if subclause (2) or (3) does not apply to the member.

(5) For this clause, if a member is required, for Service reasons, to live in for a period and immediately after that period resumes living out, the member is taken to be living out for:

(a) the period of living in, up to 30 days; and

(b) if applicable, any further part of the period of living in during which the member’s dependants remain at the relevant locality.

Column 1
Grade of relevant locality / Column 2 Column 3
Member living out
/ Column 4
Member living in
$ a year
Member with dependants
$ a year / Member without dependants
$ a year
A / 1,410 / 710 / 500
B / 3,400 / 1,860 / 1,300
C / 4,610 / 2,620 / 1,830
D / 6,780 / 4,190 / 2,930

Note: Clause 6.1.7 sets out the conditions under which these rates apply to members living at relevant localities. In particular, subclause 6.1.7 (3) describes certain situations when a member with dependants is entitled to the rates mentioned in column 3 rather than column 2.

6.1.8 Absence for temporary duty

(1) This clause applies if a member who is receiving an allowance under this Part is absent from the relevant locality:

(a) for a period of temporary duty only; or

(b) for service in a harbour craft temporarily commissioned as a seagoing ship.

(2) The member is entitled to the allowance for the period of the absence if the member is to return to the relevant locality immediately after the absence.

(3) However, the period of entitlement must not exceed 30 days unless the member:

(a) is a member with dependants (separated) whose dependants remain at the relevant locality; or

(b) is a member with no dependants living at the relevant locality and the temporary duty is in another relevant locality.

(4) If the member does not return to the relevant locality immediately after the absence because the member is posted to another locality, unless clause 6.1.12, 6.1.13 or 6.1.14 applies, the member’s entitlement to the allowance ends on the effective date of posting.

6.1.9 Member on long service leave

(1) This clause applies if a member who is receiving an allowance under this Part is granted a period of long service leave.

(2) The member is entitled to the allowance for the period if the member or at least one of the member’s dependants remain at the relevant locality for the period.

6.1.10 Member on recreation leave, special leave, leave for illness or hospitalisation

(1) This clause applies to a member who is receiving an allowance under this Part and is:

(a) granted a period of recreation leave or special leave; or

(b) granted a period of absence from duty for illness; or

(2) The member is entitled to the allowance for the period if the member is to return to duty at the relevant locality at the end of the period.

6.1.11 Allowance not payable

The allowance is not payable for any period of leave without pay.

6.1.12 Member posted from relevant locality to another relevant locality

(1) This clause applies if a member:

(a) is posted from a relevant locality to another relevant locality; and

(b) goes directly from the relevant locality from which the member is posted to the other relevant locality.

(2) Subject to subclause 6.1.14 (3), the member is entitled to the allowance at the rate for the member at the relevant locality from which the member is posted, until the beginning of the period of posting to the other relevant locality.

6.1.13 Member posted from locality

(1) This clause applies to a member if:

(a) the member is posted from a relevant locality to another locality; and

(b) the member is a member with dependants (separated); and

(2) The member is entitled to an allowance under this Part for the period the member’s dependants remain at the relevant locality.

(3) If the locality to which the member is posted is a relevant locality, the rate of allowance payable for the period is the greater of:

(a) the rate for the member at the relevant locality from which the member is posted; and

(b) the rate for the member if the member’s dependants had accompanied the member to the relevant locality to which the member is posted.

6.1.14 Leave or absence after completion of duty

(1) This clause applies if a member, immediately after the end of a period of duty at a relevant locality, is:

(a) granted a period of recreation leave, including any period of travelling leave; or

(b) granted a period of absence from duty for illness; or

(2) For entitlement to an allowance under this Part, the period of leave, travelling leave, absence or hospitalisation is taken to be a period of duty at the relevant locality.

(3) However, the period taken to be a period of duty under subclause (2) must not exceed the period of recreation leave accrued by the member for service at the relevant locality.

(4) If a member, for Service reasons, is unable to take a period of recreation leave granted immediately after a period of duty at the relevant locality, the member is entitled to the allowance as if the member had taken the leave.

(5) If a member cannot take all or part of the leave accrued in the district allowance locality immediately on completion of the posting as a result of Service requirements, the member is entitled to a lump sum equal to the amount of district allowance for the period of leave accrued and not taken.

6.1.15 Removal of locality from Annex 6.1.A

(1) This clause applies to a member if:

(a) the member is living at a relevant locality and receiving an allowance under this Part; and

(b) the locality is removed from Annex 6.1.A; and

(2) The member is entitled to the allowance as if the locality had not been removed, at the rate for the member immediately before the locality is removed, until the earlier of:

(a) 12 months after the locality is removed from Annex 6.1.A; and

(b) the day the member ceases to live at the locality.

6.1.16 Amount of allowance for member serving a period of detention

(1) This clause applies to a member with dependants who is serving a period of detention under service law.

(2) The member is entitled to the allowance that would otherwise have been payable to the member under this Part if:

(a) immediately before the member began to serve a period of detention, the allowance was payable to the member; and

(b) at that time, the member was not a member to whom subclause6.1.7(3) applies; and

Note: Regulation 68 of the Defence Force Regulations 1952 provides that a member undergoing detention under service law forfeits all allowances, other than those specifically provided for under this Determination.

183

Annex 6.1.A Localities for district allowance

Column 1
Locality / Column 2
Grade /
New South Wales
Bogan Gate / A
Broken Hill / A
Northern Territory
Alice Springs (including Jindalee) / B
Darwin / B
Jabiru (including Nourlangie, Jim Jim,
Cannon Hill and East Alligator) / D
Katherine / D
Nhulunbuy / D
Tennant Creek / D
Tindal / D
Queensland
Atherton / A
Ayr / A
Biloela / A
Bowen / A
Cairns / A
Charters Towers / A
Ingham / A
Innisfail (including Cowley Beach Training Area) / A
Macrossan / A
Mount Isa / B
Palm Island / B
Roma / A
Shoalwater Bay Training Area / B
Thursday Island (including Horn Island) / D
Townsville / A
Tully / A
Weipa (including RAAF Scherger) / D
Western Australia
Broome / C
Carnarvon / A
Derby / D
Exmouth (including Learmonth) / C
Kalgoorlie / A
Karratha (including Dampier) / C
Kununurra / D
Newman / C
Port Hedland (including South Hedland) / C
Tom Price / C
Other Territories
Cocos (Keeling) Islands / D

183

Part 2 Woomera allowance

6.2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Part is to compensate members serving in the Woomera locality for:

(a) the severity of climatic conditions;

(b) the isolation of the establishment;

6.2.2 Definition

In this Part:

Woomera locality means the area within a radius of 80 kilometres of the Woomera Post Office.

6.2.3 Member this Part applies to

This Part applies to a member (including a member rendering Reserve service) who:

(a) is posted for duty at, and lives at, the Woomera locality; or

(b) serves on temporary duty in the Woomera locality for a continuous period of more than 21 days.