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.

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:

Category	Amount
For parties
if the party has one endorsed elected member	$106,100
if the party has two endorsed elected members	$181,600
if the party has three endorsed elected members	$226,800
if the party has more than three endorsed elected members	$226,800 + $36,500 for each additional member up to 22 members
For independent elected members
the maximum amount payable per quarter	$68,600

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

Calendar year*	Party with one endorsed elected member	Party with two endorsed elected members	Party with three endorsed elected members	Party with more than three endorsed elected members	Independent elected member
2023	$100,400	$171,900	$214,700	$214,700 + $34,500 for each additional member up to 22 members	$64,900
2022	$93,800	$160,600	$200,600	$200,600 + $32,200 for each endorsed election in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$80,000
2021	$91,100	$156,000	$194,900	$194,900 + $31,200 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$58,800
2020	$90,800	$155,500	$194,300	$194,300 + $31,100 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$58,600
2019	$89,300	$153,000	$191,200	$191,200 + $30,600 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$57,600
2018	$87,500	$150,000	$187,500	$187,500 + $30,000 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$56,450
2017	$265,700	$476,500	$635,300	$635,300 + $106,100 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$221,500
2016	$261,300	$468,700	$624,900	$624,900 + $104,300 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$217,800
2015	$256,400	$460,000	$613,300	$613,300 + $102,300 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$213,700
2014	$250,800	$450,000	$600,000	$600,000 + $100,000 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$209,000
2013	$204,700	$358,100	$460,400	$460,400 + $85,000 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$204,700
2012	$200,000	$350,000	$450,000	$450,000 + $83,000 for each endorsed elected member in excess of 3 up to a maximum of 22 members in excess of 3.	$200,000
2011	$80,000	$160,000	$240,000	$80,000 for each endorsed elected member to a maximum of $2,000,000.	$80,000
2010	$80,000	$160,000	$240,000	$80,000 for each endorsed elected member to a maximum of $2,000,000.	$80,000

*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.