Self-drive car hire

Key messages

Parliamentarians and staff can hire self-drive vehicles, noting:

• Staff should ensure the rules outlined below are met when hiring a vehicle.
• Parliamentarians should ensure their 5 obligations under the Parliamentary Business Resources Framework are met before accessing parliamentary business resources.
• Whole of Australian Government (WoAG) travel arrangements and rates are now available to parliamentarians and their staff.
• Fines, penalties and associated administration fees must be paid personally by the driver.
• FAQs are available to answer key questions about insurance, accidents, roadside assist, collecting a vehicle on behalf of a parliamentarian, fuel cards and more.

Access value for money car hire rates

As of February 2024, parliamentarians and their staff can access the Whole of Australian Government (WoAG) Vehicle Rental Arrangement. Bookings can be made through Corporate Travel Management (CTM). Using the WoAG arrangements means daily rates, fees, charges, refuelling costs and insurance excess are cheaper than hiring vehicles through other car rental companies (who are also available for booking through CTM but are not under the WoAG travel arrangements). The WoAG travel arrangements also provide simpler processes and streamlined paperwork, and you can access a fuel card to refuel the vehicle so you are not left out of pocket for fuel charges. 

If you would like to benefit from the reduced rates, ask CTM to access the WoAG travel arrangements and rates for car hire when making your booking. Parliamentarians and staff can access any car rental company for their work-related travel (outside the WoAG vehicle rental arrangement), however other terms and conditions will apply. 

Employee travel – key points

As defined under the Domestic travel Guideline, all employees must seek the most efficient, effective, economical and ethical use of public money when arranging travel and other commitments, making reasonable efforts to reduce the overall cost to the Commonwealth.

When hiring a vehicle in Australia, as directed by the employing parliamentarian for official business, the vehicle:

• cannot be hired for more than 10 days duration
• is not to be used to travel to and from work – this includes journeys within
  • Canberra (within a 30km radius of Parliament House)
  • a city/ town where the employing parliamentarian’s electorate or other office is located (except by employees of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, or leader of a minority party)
• can only be used on weekdays, unless exceptional circumstances apply and the senator or member has approved 
• cannot be used for private purposes.

Note: Staff cannot claim fines, penalties, or associated administrative costs (for example, the administration fee charged by a car hire company to issue a fine).

Insurance

When hiring a vehicle, please consider the available options for insurance carefully so you are covered in the event of an incident. If you use the WoAG travel car hire arrangements, you will reduce overall insurance costs including fees and excess. For all other car hire arrangements, we recommend you take the highest level of insurance to reduce liability to the Commonwealth in case of loss or damage to the vehicle.

More information

For more information, refer to:

• ‘Car transport’ under Employee travel
• ‘Car transport’, Sections 2, 17 (d) and 18 under Staff travel and relief staff arrangements determination 2023/10. 
• ‘Traffic and parking fines’, Section 20 under Domestic travel Guideline.pdf (finance.gov.au).

Contact IPEA for advice:

• email: enquiries@ipea.gov.au
• phone: (02) 6215 3000.

Parliamentarian travel – key points

Under the Parliamentary Business Resources framework (PBR framework), parliamentarians must ensure that work expenses for parliamentary business are consistent with the obligations under the PBR Act:

• value for money
• dominant purpose
• conditions
• good faith
• personal responsibility and accountability.

Hire cars should not be used within the member's electorate if the member could reasonably use their private plated vehicle or the allowance received in lieu of the private plated vehicle to fund the travel. 

Nonetheless, where appropriate, there may be sufficient reason for a parliamentarian to hire a self-drive vehicle. For example, if you were to hire a car in Canberra to enable transport to and from Parliament House and meetings, this would meet the dominant purpose test to travel. A stop at the shops on the way to collect dry cleaning would be incidental to the purpose of the car hire.

If you are unsure, IPEA can provide advice on meeting the dominant purpose and value for money obligations set out in the PBR Act. Parliamentarians remain personally responsible and accountable for their travel and use of public resources and must be prepared to justify publicly their expenditure.

Note: Parliamentarians cannot claim fines, penalties, or associated administrative costs (for example, the administration fee charged by a car hire company to issue a fine).

Insurance

For all car hire arrangements, we recommend you take the highest level of insurance to reduce liability to the Commonwealth in case of loss or damage to the vehicle. If you use the WoAG travel car hire arrangements, you will reduce overall insurance costs including fees and excess.

More information

For more information, refer to:

• Principles-based framework
• Part 3 Division 2 under Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 
• Subdivision C – Limits on use of unscheduled commercial transport, Section 13 under
• Parliamentary Business Resources (Parliamentary Business) Determination 2017.

Contact IPEA for advice:

• email: enquiries@ipea.gov.au
• phone: (02) 6215 3000.