Members of a local authority may be entitled to receive allowances while working on local authority business.
Allowances are entirely at the discretion of individual councils within the limits set by the Remuneration Authority.
Current allowances include:
Allowance limits are reviewed annually by the Remuneration Authority.
Council approved allowances for local government members must be included in the council’s members’ expenses and reimbursement policy and published on its website.
Councils do not need the Authority's agreement for changes to their members’ expenses and reimbursement policy, or to their mayors/regional council chairs' motor vehicle entitlements, so long as their policy remains within the limits of the current remuneration and allowances determination.
The Remuneration Authority has received a number of submissions and representations from councils wanting provision in its determination to reimburse the costs incurred by local government members who use public transport (either local bus, long distance coach or train), micromobility vehicles (such as e-bikes and e-scooters) and bicycles when travelling on local authority business.
We support these alternative modes of transport, as they reinforce council environmental goals by reducing carbon emissions and road congestion and provide greater choice and flexibility for local government members to move around their city, district or region.
Many councils have existing provision in their members’ allowances, expenses and reimbursement policies for air travel and travel expenses, accommodation, car parking and the use of taxis or rental cars. A small number of councils also have a provision in their expenses policy to reimburse their members for the costs of using public transport, including buses and ferries, when travelling on local authority business.
Therefore, a local authority may wish to include in their members’ expenses and reimbursements policy the reimbursement of the actual and reasonable costs incurred by its members who use public transport (long distance coach, local bus, train or ferry), micromobility vehicles (such as e-bikes and e-scooters) and bicycles for travel on local authority business and upon the production of receipts or evidence satisfactory to the local authority.