Private sector employers and employees
Telephone: 1300 655 266
Mailing address
Locked Bag 100
East Perth WA 6892
Previous location allowance for employees in regional areas
The location allowance rates on this page apply from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 and are provided for historical purposes. For location allowance rates effective from 1 July 2022 visit the Location allowance for employees in regional areas page.
This information is only relevant to employers and employees in the WA state industrial relations system.
Many WA awards require employers to pay an employee employed in certain regional towns a location allowance to compensate for the additional cost of living, climatic discomfort, and isolation in these towns. The WA awards which require location allowance to be paid are listed at the end of this page.
The dollar amount of location allowance varies by town. The towns where location allowance must be paid and dollar amounts for each town are listed at the end of this page.
Junior employees, casual employees, part time employees, apprentices and trainees must be paid proportionate location allowance based on the proportion which their weekly wage is to the adult rate under the relevant WA award.
Location allowance is paid when an employee is on annual leave. If an employee goes on long service leave (or any other approved leave with pay, other than annual leave), location allowance must be paid for any time they remain in the town in which they are employed.
If an employee has a dependant spouse or de facto partner (or child if there is no spouse or defacto partner) the employee is entitled to receive double the allowance specified for the relevant town except if the dependant also receives a location or district allowance payment as part of his or her own employment. In this situation only an additional amount equal to any difference between what the dependant receives and the location allowance for that town must be paid to the employee.
If an employee has a ‘partial dependant’ (a dependant who receives a district or location allowance of their own which is less than the location allowance the employee is entitled to under this award) the employee is entitled to receive:
- the relevant location allowance for the employee’s town; plus
- an amount equal to the difference between the employee’s location allowance and the amount their partial dependant receives in district or location allowance.
If an employee receives free board and lodging, or is paid an allowance for board and lodging, the rate of location allowance is adjusted to 66.66 per cent of the full entitlement for the relevant town.
Location allowance is adjusted each year through the Location Allowance General Order, which is effective from the first pay period on or after 1 July.
Contact Wageline if you have questions about location allowance.
WA awards containing location allowance requirements as at 1 July 2021
Aerated Water and Cordial Manufacturing Industry Award
Aged and Disabled Persons Hostels Award
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry (Construction and Servicing) Award
Animal Welfare Industry Award
Artworkers Award
The Australian Workers Union Road Maintenance, Marking and Traffic Management Award
Bakers’ (Country) Award
Breadcarters (Country) Award
Building Trades Award
Building Trades (Construction) Award
Child Care (Out of School Care - Playleaders) Award
Children's Services (Private) Award
Cleaners and Caretakers Award
Cleaners and Caretakers (Car and Caravan Parks) Award
Clerks' (Accountants' Employees) Award
Clerks (Commercial, Social and Professional Services) Award
Clerks' (Customs and/or Shipping and/or Forwarding Agents) Award
Clerks' (Hotels, Motels and Clubs) Award
Clerks (Timber) Award
Clerks (Unions and Labor Movement) Award
Clerks' (Wholesale & Retail Establishments) Award
Clothing Trades Award
Contract Cleaners Award
Contract Cleaners' (Ministry of Education) Award
Crisis Assistance, Supported Housing Industry - Western Australian Interim Award
Dental Technicians' and Attendant/Receptionists’ Award
The Draughtsmen's, Tracers', Planners' and Technical Officers' Award
Dry Cleaning and Laundry Award
Earth Moving and Construction Award
Electrical Contracting Industry Award
Electrical Trades (Security Alarms Industry) Award
Electronics Industry Award
Engine Drivers' (Building and Steel Construction) Award
Engine Drivers' (General) Award
Enrolled Nurses and Nursing Assistants (Private) Award
Fast Food Outlets Award
Foremen (Building Trades) Award
Funeral Directors' Assistants' Award
Furniture Trades Industry Award
Gate, Fence and Frames Manufacturing Award
Golf Link and Bowling Green Employees' Award
Hairdressers Award
The Horticultural (Nursery) Industry Award
Industrial Spraypainting and Sandblasting Award
Independent Schools Administrative and Technical Officers Award
Independent Schools (Boarding House) Supervisory Staff Award
Independent Schools Psychologists and Social Workers Award
Independent Schools' Teachers' Award
Landscape Gardening Industry Award
Licensed Establishments (Retail and Wholesale) Award
Local Government Officers’ (Western Australia) Award
Meat Industry (State) Award
Metal Trades (General) Award
Motel, Hostel, Service Flats and Boarding House Workers' Award
Motor Vehicle (Service Station, Sales Establishments, Rust Prevention and Paint Protection), Industry Award
Municipal Employees (Western Australia) Award
Nurses' (Day Care Centres) Award
Nurses (Dentists Surgeries) Award
Nurses (Doctors Surgeries) Award
Nurses’ (Independent Schools) Award
Nurses' (Private Hospitals) Award
Pastrycooks' Award
Pest Control Industry Award
Photographic Industry Award
Private Hospital Employees' Award
Quarry Workers' Award
Radio and Television Employees' Award
Restaurant, Tearoom and Catering Workers' Award
Retail Pharmacists’ Award
The Rock Lobster and Prawn Processing Award
School Employees (Independent Day & Boarding Schools) Award
Security Officers' Award
Sheet Metal Workers' Award
The Shop and Warehouse (Wholesale and Retail Establishments) State Award
Social and Community Services (Western Australia) Interim Award
Teachers' Aides' (Independent Schools) Award
Timber Yard Workers Award
Transport Workers (General) Award
Transport Workers (Mobile Food Vendors) Award
Transport Workers' (North West Passenger Vehicles) Award
Transport Workers' (Passenger Vehicles) Award
Western Australian Surveying (Private Practice) Industry Award
Amount of location allowance - by town as at 1 July 2021
|
Town |
Location allowance per week from 1 July 2021 |
|---|---|
|
Agnew |
$22.70 |
|
Argyle |
$60.80 |
|
Balladonia |
$23.50 |
|
Barrow Island |
$39.50 |
|
Boulder |
$9.70 |
|
Broome |
$36.50 |
|
Bullfinch |
$10.60 |
|
Carnarvon |
$18.70 |
|
Cockatoo Island |
$40.00 |
|
Coolgardie |
$9.70 |
|
Cue |
$23.30 |
|
Dampier |
$31.80 |
|
Denham |
$18.70 |
|
Derby |
$37.90 |
|
Esperance |
$6.60 |
|
Eucla |
$25.40 |
|
Exmouth |
$33.40 |
|
Fitzroy Crossing |
$46.10 |
|
Halls Creek |
$53.30 |
|
Kalbarri |
$8.10 |
|
Kalgoorlie |
$9.70 |
|
Kambalda |
$9.70 |
|
Karratha |
$38.20 |
|
Koolan Island |
$40.00 |
|
Koolyanobbing |
$10.60 |
|
Kununurra |
$60.80 |
|
Laverton |
$23.20 |
|
Learmonth |
$33.40 |
|
Leinster |
$22.70 |
|
Leonora |
$23.20 |
|
Madura |
$24.50 |
|
Marble Bar |
$59.00 |
|
Meekatharra |
$20.10 |
|
Mount Magnet |
$25.20 |
|
Mundrabilla |
$25.00 |
|
Newman |
$21.80 |
|
Norseman |
$20.10 |
|
Nullagine |
$58.90 |
|
Onslow |
$39.50 |
|
Pannawonica |
$29.60 |
|
Paraburdoo |
$29.40 |
|
Port Hedland |
$31.60 |
|
Ravensthorpe |
$11.90 |
|
Roebourne |
$44.00 |
|
Sandstone |
$22.70 |
|
Shark Bay |
$18.70 |
|
Southern Cross |
$10.60 |
|
Telfer |
$54.20 |
|
Teutonic Bore |
$22.70 |
|
Tom Price |
$29.40 |
|
Whim Creek |
$37.80 |
|
Wickham |
$36.50 |
|
Wiluna |
$22.90 |
|
Wyndham |
$56.90 |
All state system employers are legally required to keep employment records that detail time worked, leave taken and pay received by employees. Learn more on the Employment records - Employer obligations page
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