Administration Fund

The purpose of the Administration Fund is to reimburse eligible political parties and independent members of parliament for administrative and operating expenditure incurred in a quarterly period.

A political party or elected member that is eligible to receive a payment may make a claim with the NSW Electoral Commission for payment from the fund.

The NSW Electoral Commission publishes reports on payments made from the Administration Fund.

Eligibility

A political party is eligible for quarterly payments from the fund if:

• it was a registered party at the previous state election, and the party continued to be a registered party at the end of the quarter for which the payment is made

• it endorsed candidates who were elected at that election, and the NSW Electoral Commission is satisfied that the elected members claimed to be endorsed by the party

• the NSW Electoral Commission is satisfied that the elected members continued to be members or representatives of the party at the end of the quarter for which the payment is made.

A registered party for the purpose of making a claim from the Administration Fund means a party that was registered for 12 months or more since its date of registration on the date of the previous state election.

An elected member is eligible for quarterly payments from the fund if:

• the elected member was not an endorsed candidate of any party at the state election in which the member was last elected

• the NSW Electoral Commission is satisfied that the elected member is not a member or representative of any party at the end of the quarter for which the payment is made.

Rules for making a claim

In order to receive a payment from the fund, a claim for payment must be lodged with the NSW Electoral Commission by the party agent of a party or by an elected member. If the party agent of a political party is absent, a registered officer is permitted to lodge a claim for payment if:

• the registered officer has completed the NSW Electoral Commission’s agent training (unless exempt); and
• the NSW Electoral Commission has been notified in writing (by the party agent or registered officer).

A claim for quarterly advance payment can be made at least two weeks before the end of each quarter. A quarterly advance payment is equal to 100 per cent of the quarterly entitlement of the party or elected member.

A claim for quarterly payment can be made within three months of the end of each quarter. A quarterly payment takes into account whether a party or elected member has received a quarterly advance payment for the quarter. A quarterly payment also takes into account the amount of expenditure included in a quarter.

The NSW Electoral Commission advises all eligible parties and elected members of how and when to make a claim for payment. A claim for payment must:

• be lodged with the NSW Electoral Commission using Funding and disclosure online or a paper form

• be accompanied by a declaration which includes administrative expenditure incurred in the quarter

• the expenditure referred to in the declaration must be accompanied by copies of the accounts or receipts for the expenditure and any other information the NSW Electoral Commission may require in connection with the claim.

All Administration Fund claims for payment are published on the NSW Electoral Commission’s website.

How to submit a claim

For instructions on submitting a claim form, please refer to our How-to guides under Funding and disclosure online.

What to include in a claim

An eligible party or elected member may include in a claim for quarterly payment, any administration expenditure incurred in a quarter.

Any expenditure incurred in excess of the quarterly entitlement of a party or elected member may be included in a subsequent quarterly claim for the calendar year.

Administration expenditure includes:

• expenditure for the administration or management of the activities of the eligible party or elected member

• expenditure for conferences, seminars, meetings or similar functions at which the policies of the eligible party or elected member are discussed or formulated

• expenditure on providing information to the public or a section of the public about the eligible party or elected member

• expenditure on providing information to members and supporters of the eligible party or elected member

• expenditure in respect of the audit of the financial accounts of the eligible party or elected member

• expenditure on equipment and training to ensure compliance by the eligible party, elected members or endorsed candidates of the party with the obligations under the Electoral Funding Act 2018

• expenditure on reasonable remuneration of staff engaged in the above activities for the eligible party or elected member (being the proportion of that remuneration that relates to the time spent on those activities)

• reasonable expenditure on equipment or vehicles used for the purposes of the above activities (being the proportion of the cost of their acquisition and operation that relates to the use of the equipment or vehicles for those activities)

• expenditure on office accommodation for the above staff and equipment

• expenditure on interest payments on loans.

Administration expenditure does not include:

• electoral expenditure

• expenditure for which a member may claim a parliamentary allowance as a member

• expenditure incurred substantially in respect of operations or activities that relate to the election of members to a parliament other than the NSW Parliament

• expenditure prescribed by the regulations. 

The NSW Electoral Commission issues guidelines to give further examples of what is and is not administration expenditure.

What expenditure is claimable 

Further general guidance about claimable administrative expenditure is provided here.

Expenditure that would be administrative expenditure includes:

• expenditure on the reasonable remuneration of staff to facilitate compliance with the party or elected member’s electoral funding obligation, including preparing disclosures and claims for payment
• expenditure on the reasonable remuneration of staff to conduct research to inform the formulation of policies for the party or elected member
• expenditure on the organisation of events where policies of the party or elected member are discussed and formulated, including room or venue hire, staff assisting in the preparation of the event and hospitality costs that do not confer a private benefit (refer to Guideline 24).
• expenditure on office accommodation used for the administration or management of the activities of the party or elected member, in addition to the electorate office(s) provided by the Parliament for elected members. 

Expenditure that would not be administrative expenditure includes:

• expenditure on leasing or purchasing a motor vehicle to perform the elected member’s parliamentary duties.
• expenditure on telephone, internet, office and equipment expenditure to perform the elected member’s parliamentary duties
• expenditure on travel for the elected member and staff to perform the elected member’s parliamentary duties
• expenditure (including hospitality costs) incurred in communicating with constituents as part of the elected member’s parliamentary duties
• expenditure on staff remuneration to perform the elected member’s parliamentary duties
• expenditure (including hospitality costs) incurred in performing electorate work for an elected member’s electorate and to participate in official and community activities to which the member is invited because of the member’s status as a parliamentary representative
• expenditure incurred on attending State, Commonwealth and Local Government functions
• expenditure on attending official functions to which an elected member is invited because of the member’s status as a parliamentary representative
• expenditure on the participation in the activities of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, including the payment of membership fees

The NSW Electoral Commission has determined Guidelines under section 152 of the Electoral Funding Act 2018 to assist parties and independent Members of Parliament with the Administration Fund claims, including the interaction of the Act with parliamentary allowances (particularly the Electoral Allowance) and to assist with their management of claims for expenditure that confers a private benefit. 

• Guideline 3 - advises that forms approved by the NSW Electoral Commission must be used by political participants. 

• Guideline 4 - advises that the rate of remuneration for staff (being the proportion of remuneration that relates to the time spent engaged in administrative or policy development activities) may only be included in a claim from the Administrative or New Parties Fund where the remuneration is reasonable in all the circumstances, including but not limited to, the qualifications and skills necessary to the relevant activities. 

• Guideline 5 - advises that the remuneration of a driver of a Member of Parliament (being the proportion of the remuneration that relates to the time spent engaged in administrative activities) is not administrative expenditure for the purposes of making a claim from the Administration Fund. 

• Guideline 12 - provides guidance on the recommended method for quantifying expenditure on travel for administrative or policy development expenditure of an eligible party or elected member, is on the basis of business kilometres travelled.

• Guideline 18 - advises that where a claim for payment is made from the Election Campaigns Fund, the Administration Fund or the New Parties Fund, the GST component of expenditure is only to be included in the claim if the claimant considers it is not entitled to a tax credit for these expenditures. 
• Guideline 19 - advises that for the purposes of the Administration Fund, ‘actual administrative expenditure’ means administrative expenditure for which the elected member or party has a legal liability to pay or has paid. 

• Guideline 23 - provides clarification that claims on the Administration Fund for payments to cover items of expenditure that is also covered by a parliamentary allowance will be disallowed. 

• Guideline 24 - provides clarification that claims on the Administration Fund for payments to cover expenditure on items that are assessed as primarily conferring a private benefit on the Member (or another person) will be disallowed. 

Receiving a payment

Quarterly advance payments are made by the NSW Electoral Commission on the first business day of each quarter.

Quarterly payments are made by the NSW Electoral Commission within 30 calendar days of a valid claim for payment being received.

Payments are made by the NSW Electoral Commission to an account held by the party or elected member. No payments are made to a party or elected member while:

• the party or member has an outstanding disclosure of political donations and electoral expenditure 

• the party has not provided the NSW Electoral Commission with its audited annual financial statements or

• the party has not provided the NSW Electoral Commission with a list of senior office holders.

A party or elected member may carry over any unspent administration funding entitlement to a subsequent quarter within the same calendar year.

The NSW Electoral Commission may deduct from a payment any amount it is authorised to recover from a party or elected member, e.g. an amount for an unlawful political donation. The NSW Electoral Commission is authorised to recover any amount a party or elected member receives that is in excess of the amount the party or elected member becomes entitled. 

Amounts payable

The amount payable to an eligible party or elected member is the amount of actual administrative expenditure incurred by the party or elected member during a quarterly period up to a maximum amount. That maximum amount is adjusted for inflation each year.

Maximum quarterly amounts payable to parties and elected members for administrative expenditure incurred in 2024:

Previous calendar years’ maximum amounts payable to parties and elected members:

*Prior to the 2018 calendar year, maximum entitlement amounts were based on annual periods under the Election Funding, Expenditure, and Disclosures Act 1981. For calendar years 2018 onwards, the Electoral Funding Act 2018 provides for quarterly maximum entitlement amounts.