The Department of Finance today issued revised guidance for Australian Public Service (APS) employees undertaking overseas travel on government business. The update—part of Resource Management Guide 424—mandates three competitive airfare quotations, ministerial approval thresholds for ‘significant’ trips, and explicit reporting obligations for clearance-holding officials. Notably, the circular reiterates that officials must obtain all relevant visas before departure and subscribe to Smartraveller alerts. It also bans the use of frequent-flyer details when booking on non-panel airlines, a measure aimed at eliminating personal benefit perceptions. While the directive applies to Commonwealth entities, its principles often cascade into state-government and government-business-enterprise policies. Mobility managers servicing public-sector clients should update travel-approval workflows, ensuring visa lead-times are built into project schedules and that through-fare bookings are prioritised to minimise missed-connection risks. The guidance comes as Canberra faces Senate scrutiny over departmental travel spend following a 23 per cent year-on-year rebound in official trips after border reopenings. Stricter pre-trip diligence could translate into longer planning horizons for suppliers of relocation, insurance and risk-management services.
Source: Department of Finance
