Home Garaging CIT Vehicles Policy

1. Purpose

To provide guidance on home garaging Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) vehicles.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all CIT staff.

3. Principles

3.1 Home garaging a CIT vehicle can be considered where there is a bona-fide business need and it is deemed to be more efficient or practical than storing the vehicle on CIT premises.

3.2 The provisions of the Use of Motor Vehicles on Institute Business Policy apply to this policy.

3.3 Requests for home garaging will be considered on a case by case basis and will only be authorised where there is a genuine operational need that bears direct relevance to the conduct of CIT’s business.

3.4 CIT vehicles may only be home garaged with the prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer or a Delegate as specified in CIT’s Human Resources Delegations: HR Delegation Manual 1 July 2019 (part 9.2).

3.5 Home garaging is not a staff entitlement and is not to be offered as a general benefit to staff (i.e. for convenience or reward).

3.6 All requests for home garaging must be made on the Application Form (CIT Staff only), and when completed, constitutes an official record.

3.7 Prior to considering or authorising a request for home garaging the Delegate must ensure the officer has an adequate understanding of the possibility of personal liability that may arise due to events including but not limited to:

1. utilising the vehicle for unauthorised or unofficial purposes;
2. when the vehicle is utilised in breaching a policy, law or regulation or where a given event causes loss or damage to the vehicle; or
3. loss or damage of property or harm to persons that could reasonably have been avoided by actions of the driver (e.g. in not operating the vehicle in a safe manner or not parking the vehicle in a safe and secure manner).

3.8 Home garaging an official (CIT) vehicle is permissible only under the following circumstances:

1. When there is no safe and secure parking available on CIT premises for the vehicle concerned, that is, where a vehicle cannot be safely garaged at the worksite or any other secure facility. CIT vehicles must be stored or garaged in such a way as to minimise the risk of damage or loss to the vehicle itself, property, persons, animals or the environment.
2. Home garaged vehicles must be parked behind property lines and should not to be parked in streets or on property verges overnight;
3. Where home garaging is necessary and is in accordance with the ongoing conduct of CIT business such that the benefits to CIT can be clearly demonstrated on the grounds of improved operational effectiveness (e.g. in delivering bona-fide and/or essential services, undertaking official business on an occasional or regular basis out of hours, or being on an ongoing on-call arrangement) that justifies the additional costs incurred by CIT; or
4. When a vehicle is being utilised for official travel on a day or days following a business day where it is not practical to collect the vehicle from a CIT premises where normally parked or stored.

3.9 In approving home garaging, the operational need and for longer term arrangements, frequency of use must be considered and a full description of the nature and need for home garaging must be documented.

3.10 The occasional, contingent or probable likelihood of official use requiring home garaging will not normally be deemed to be sufficient justification for home garaging.

3.11 In granting approval for home garaging of CIT vehicles, authorisation extends only to direct travel to and from the workplace.

3.12 Private use of CIT vehicles including for personal errands and carrying persons other than for CIT or government business purposes is not permissible except in genuine exceptional circumstances (e.g. due to an emergency).

3.13 The operational benefits of home garaging should be considered in terms of additional costs in operating the vehicle, including Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) liability. Any CIT FBT liability generated by unapproved home garaging may be recovered from the employee for remittance to the Australian Taxation Office. The employee and the Delegate should note that the FBT liability conferring on CIT and/or a person home garaging the vehicle could be significant (up to several thousand dollars depending on the particular circumstances).

3.14 For ongoing home garaging arrangements, approvals should be regularly reviewed to ensure full justification. Long term home garaging arrangements must be reviewed on a six monthly basis or more regularly.

3.15 A Delegate may withdraw approval to home garage by written notice to the officer home garaging the vehicle and the reasons must be appropriately documented and communicated within that notice.

3.16 A CIT vehicle should not continue to be home garaged while a staff member, who ordinarily home garages that vehicle, is on leave or is expected to be on leave for two or more successive working days.

3.17 Where officers are acting in a position which has an assigned home garaged CIT vehicle or a CIT Senior Manager Salary Packaged vehicle, an officer may home garage that vehicle upon approval.

3.18 An electronic log book (ELB) (see Attachment A), must be used at all times where fitted to record all trip details. A paper based log book is an acceptable alternative where an ELB is not fitted or is not available.

3.19 Home garaging, for the purpose of log book entries, commences from the last point of work to the normal place of residence at the end of the working day, and ends upon arrival at the first place of work at the commencement of the working day. The route must be direct and not interrupted (unless if caused by uncommon or unexpected events such as road works or traffic accidents).

3.20 All journeys relating to home garaging must be recorded accurately in log books as follows:

1. Code HG - Private
   
   - for travel between the normal place of work or place of duty and the private residence (i.e. from work to home); or
   
   -travel between non-work places (available only in rare or exceptional circumstances – e.g. refer paragraph 3.11).
2. Code HG - Business
   
   - for travel from the private residence to the first place of duty at the commencement of the working day (i.e. from home to work).

Note: Travel between places of duty are to be recorded in log books as 'business meeting', 'inspection' or an otherwise relevant indicator.

3.21 Drivers responsible for CIT vehicles including officers home garaging are required to:

1. comply with the provisions set out in this policy;
2. record accurate and timely information on usage (in a log book);
3. when not home garaged, ensure that the vehicle is available for all staff at all times unless specifically authorised otherwise;
4. be appropriately licensed and operate vehicles in a safe, lawful and courteous manner at all times and obey all traffic and parking laws where drivers will be personally responsible and liable for any breaches;
5. ensure the care and security of the vehicle;
6. ensure that regular minor maintenance is undertaken, including ensuring that the vehicle has an adequate supply of fuel, that oil and water levels are maintained, and that the tyres have the correct pressure;
7. ensure that the vehicle is taken or made available for scheduled servicing;
8. maintain the vehicle in a clean and tidy condition;
9. ensure that any cargo is properly secured;
10. report without delay, vehicle defects and accidents, damage, or other operating condition issues to the CIT facilities area as soon as noticed, incurred or realised.
11. ensure that the vehicle is not home garaged at the staff member's normal place of residence when the staff member is on leave or is expected to be on leave for two or more successive working days; and
12. seek own advice and understand taxation issues such as those imposed by FBT law where for example, tax liabilities may need to reimbursed to CIT by a staff member who home garages a CIT vehicle.

3.22 Colleges and Division Directors or their equivalents and above who are responsible for staff who home garage vehicles are required to:

1. ensure that the staff member who is home garaging the vehicle is made aware of possible personal FBT implications (as per the information above) but not to provide personal financial advice;
2. for longer term home garaging arrangements, regularly assess the need for home garaging; and
3. ensure that appropriate records (including paper or electronic log books) are kept of all home garaged vehicle journeys for FBT calculation and audit purposes.

3.23 Colleges and Divisions are responsible for the payment of any approved FBT liability associated with home garaged vehicles and for ensuring that FBT is minimised. This includes collecting FBT reimbursements from home garaging officers.

3.24 Unauthorised use of or inappropriate home garaging of CIT vehicles may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Public Sector Management Act 1994.

4. Documentation

CIT Home Garaging Application Form (CIT Staff only)

Public Sector Management Act 1994

Fringe Benefits Tax Act 1986

ACTPS Non Executive Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicle Management Guidelines

Use of Motor Vehicles on Institute Business Policy

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms.

6. Policy Contact Officer

Senior Director HR or Senior Director Finance.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

Nil.