Member's Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions in Australia – see Disclaimer – check PACMAN for full details

4.15 Meal allowance

Meal allowance may be paid to you so that you can buy a meal when Service meals are not available. It is not paid when you are being paid for a meal in some other way (such as when you are paid travelling allowance or a meal is provided).

Only certain types of members are eligible.

If you live in¼

If you live in you can be paid a meal allowance if you pay a contribution for meals at the mess, and Service reasons stop you from getting back there for meals. This might be because you were somewhere else on duty, or working extra duty. You can also be paid for lunches if you normally work in a capital city.

If you live out¼

If you live out you can be paid a meal allowance if you do extra duty that begins or ends more than three hours outside your normal working hours, or goes through a meal period. You can also be paid for lunch if you worked extra duty the night before and you were not able to return home.

Who else?

A country person who applies to be appointed or enlisted in the ADF. If they have to travel by private transport to attend an interview or examination, they may get a meal allowance.

A member with dependents (unaccompanied) gets a special meal allowance (see 7.9).

Application to Reservists:  Yes.

Reference:  ADF Pay and Conditions Manual, Chapter 4 Part 5