Definitions
Major financial benefits
Recruitment bonus: Principals may be able to apply for a recruitment bonus, which they can offer to increase the attractiveness of temporary teaching positions of four terms or more and permanent positions in rural and remote 6- and 8- transfer point incentive schools or 6- and 8- point Connected Communities schools. Eligible positions must have undergone two consecutive unsuccessful merit selection processes. Find out more about the rural and remote recruitment bonus procedure.
Rural and remote relocation support payment: Permanent and temporary teachers and members of the school counselling service moving at least 50kms to commence an appointment at a rural and remote incentive school can apply for a relocation payment to assist with moving costs. Employees relocating with up to 3 additional family members may be eligible for a $5,000 payment. Employees relocating with more than 3 additional family members may be eligible for an 8,000 payment. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Rural teacher incentive: Permanent and temporary teachers working at eligible 4-, 6-, and 8-transfer point incentive and Connected Communities incentive schools will be eligible to receive a Rural Teacher Incentive with a value of $20,000 to $30,000, dependent on the remoteness of the school. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Rental subsidy: Temporary and permanent teachers and executive may be eligible for rental subsidies of 50% - 90% (deducted from rural teacher incentive, where applicable). Find out more on our salary and benefits webpage.
Stamp duty benefit payment: New and existing permanent and temporary teachers and members of the school counselling service at rural and remote incentive schools who purchase a home near their place of work may be eligible for a stamp duty relief payment up to $10,000. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Retention benefit: Permanent and temporary teachers working at specified schools with 12 months or more of continuous service may be eligible for an annual $5,000 retention benefit payment. Eligible teachers will receive up to 10 retention benefit payments. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Experienced teacher benefit: From Term 1, 2022, certain proficient permanent and temporary teachers who are currently in a position at 6-point and 8-point rural and remote incentive schools and 4-point, 6-point and 8-point incentive Connected Communities schools qualify for a $10,000 experienced teacher benefit, payable for up to five years. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Professional benefits
10-week trial placement before appointment: Allows prospective staff a 10-week trial before a permanent appointment to a rural and remote school is confirmed.
Additional personal leave: Additional personal leave entitlement (personal, family, community) for incentive schools separate to FACS leave. Western zone schools have an extended summer vacation and start one week later than eastern zone schools.
Additional training and development days: To allow teachers to travel to other centres for training.
Fast track temporary to permanent: Principals can now nominate to fill permanent vacancies with temporary teachers after 12 months' continuous engagement, subject to the completion of a merit selection process and satisfactory performance of appointment. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Priority transfer: Transfer Points are allocated to permanent teachers for each year of service in a school, with different schools attracting different transfer points. These points are accumulated during a teacher's service and used to prioritise an application for transfer. Find out the NSW rural and remote incentive schools.
Priority transfer for Executive Principal: Executive Principals of Connected Communities schools who remain in their position beyond their initial three year period of engagement will now be eligible for priority transfer to a principal one level above their pre-executive principal appointment. You can apply for a priority transfer by going to ‘My transfers’ in the Employee Self Service (ESS) area of the department's staff portal. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
Recognition of temporary service: Temporary teachers can be credited transfer points for service in excess of one term when the teacher becomes permanent and subsequently eligible to seek a transfer. Find out more about the rural and remote incentive package.
TEPS benefit: For every 50 days of casual/temporary service. The Teacher Employment Priority Scheme (TEPS) for casual/temporary NSW government teachers accelerates a teacher’s priority for employment. Employment priority date may be enhanced by 6, 12 and 18 months.
Transferred officers compensation: Eligible for reimbursement after serving a specified number of years at their school. Further information can be found on the Awards and determinations webpage.
Additional allowances
Broken Hill allowance: The annual allowance paid to teachers appointed to Broken Hill schools. This allowance is paid in addition to the Hot Climatic Allowance.
Climatic allowance: An allowance paid to teachers who are appointed to schools which are located in the Western Division of New South Wales as compensation for extreme summer temperatures. Teachers appointed to some schools may be eligible for a cold climate allowance. Further information can be found in the Award.
Please note: A change in personal circumstances may impact on a teacher's locality allowance payment amount. For this reason, it is important to ensure family member and dependent details are kept up to date in SAP. View the Quick Reference Guide for support.
Country Area Program: Schools which qualify receive additional funding which allows them to provide additional resources.
Isolation from socio-economic goods and services allowance: An allowance paid to teachers who are appointed to schools which are located in areas of the state that do not have immediate access to various goods and services. Eligible schools are listed in 10 groupings depending on the degree of isolation. The greater degree of isolation, the lower the group number. Groupings are listed in Appendix A to Schedule 8 of the Award.
Please note: A change in personal circumstances may impact on a teacher's locality allowance payment amount. For this reason, it is important to ensure family member and dependent details are kept up to date in SAP. View the Quick Reference Guide for support.
Medical and dental re-imbursement: Re-imbursement of some medical and dental expenses. Refer to the Award for further details. Teachers who are employed at schools who are entitled to this allowance are required to complete the medical travel expenses locality allowance form.
Motor vehicle depreciation allowance: Teachers in isolation groups 1-6 receive this allowance which is included in the socio-economic isolation allowance.
Relocation subsidy: Newly appointed teachers may be eligible for a relocation subsidy on first appointment.
Vacation travel expense (number of vacation journeys): Travel expenses that can be claimed during school vacations. Further information can be found online on the teacher subsidies, allowances and bonuses webpage. Teachers who are employed at schools who are entitled to this allowance are required to complete the vacation travel refund form.
The Rural and Remote Education Human Resources Strategy was released on 30 November 2017.
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Contact us
For more information regarding rural and remote benefits and incentives please contact EdConnect.
- Existing employees of the department, phone 1300 32 32 32 (select option 3) or log an online enquiry.
- New applicants to the department, phone 1300 30 04 98.
For further information about the Rural and Remote Relocation or Stamp Duty Relief payment contact RandRworkforce@det.nsw.edu.au.
