Tasmanian Industrial Commission orders camping allowance for firefighter recruits

The Tasmanian Industrial Commission has ruled that nine firefighter recruits are entitled to a nightly camping allowance for their stay at the Tasmania Police Academy in Rokeby. Commissioner Tim Abey ordered the state government to pay the $45.50 nightly allowance stipulated under the Firefighting Industrial Agreement 2022.

The dispute arose from training stints held between September and December 2023. The department argued that the academy's facilities—which provided private rooms, en suite bathrooms, housekeeping, and hot meals—functioned similarly to commercial serviced apartments, which would disqualify the trainees from the allowance.

However, the union maintained that the academy is a non-commercial, employer-owned facility intended for internal staff training rather than public commercial use. Following an inspection, Commissioner Abey determined that while the accommodations were comfortable and fit for purpose, they lacked the basic amenities typically found in commercial motels or serviced apartments, describing them as “basic in terms of creature comforts.”