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. More information can be found on the Teach.NSW benefits and incentives page.

Rental subsidy

In general, teachers are expected to find their own accommodation. However, teachers serving in country areas often have difficulty finding suitable accommodation. To assist them, the Teacher Housing Authority (THA) maintains a number of houses and villa units throughout the state at market rental rates.

The department provides rental subsidies to those teachers in eight-point, six-point and four-point incentive schools who are either living in THA accommodation or who are eligible for THA accommodation and have been unsuccessful in obtaining that accommodation and are required to rent privately.

The rental subsidy paid is 90 per cent for teachers at eight-point schools, 70 per cent for teachers at six-point schools and 50 per cent for teachers in four-point incentive schools. The rental subsidy is part of the Rural Teacher Incentive, with the value of the subsidy subtracted from the incentive payment each quarter.

• Apply for housing
• Rental Subsidy Procedure (staff only)
• Application for rental subsidy for non-teacher housing authority (THA) accommodation.
  (PDF 89.32KB)

Locality allowance

If you are appointed to one of these eligible schools (PDF 0.09MB), you are eligible for payment of a locality allowance (climatic disability, isolation from socio-economic goods and services or motor vehicle).

As the rate of locality allowance is dependent upon a teacher's personal circumstances, it cannot be paid to you automatically. You must apply for payment of a locality allowance.

You may also be entitled to an allowance in respect of vacation travel expenses and/or for reimbursement of certain expenses related to medical or dental treatment. For a claim form, please ask at your school or contact employee services.

Relocation subsidy

On first employment or re-employment, permanent teachers are not eligible for the provisions of the transferred officers compensation determination. Instead, teachers appointed to eligible schools (DOCX 0.03MB) may be entitled to a relocation subsidy when it is necessary for them to leave their existing residence.

• Relocation subsidy claim form
• Relocation subsidy factsheet

Recruitment bonus

A $20,000 (less tax) recruitment bonus payment can be paid for successful appointments to teaching roles where at least two consecutive attempts to fill the position, including at least one merit selection process, have been unsuccessful. It can be paid to teachers who are permanently or temporarily appointed to hard-to-fill positions at 6-and 8-point listed and Connected Communities schools. The teacher needs to be engaged for four terms or more at the listed school to be eligible to receive the bonus.

If the teacher leaves the position before the end of the engagement they will only be eligible to be paid part of the bonus, proportional to the time they were in the position. For example, if the engagement is for four terms and the teacher leaves after two terms the teacher would only be eligible for a bonus of $10,000 (less tax).

More information is available in the Recruitment Bonus Procedure (DOCX 85.61KB) (staff only).

Experienced Teacher Benefit

All eligible experienced teachers who are currently in a permanent position at an eligible incentive school qualify for a $10,000 (less tax) experienced teacher benefit, payable for up to five years.

The Experienced teacher benefit is available to eligible teachers at 6-point and 8-point incentive schools and 4-point, 6-point and 8-point incentive Connected Communities schoolsExternal link

More information about experienced teacher benefits is available in the Rural Teacher Incentive and Experienced Teacher Benefit Procedure (staff only).

Retention benefit

Teachers and principals with 12 months or more of continuous service working at remote schools and remote Connected Communities incentive schools may be eligible for an annual $5,000 (less tax) retention benefit payment. The retention benefit will be paid to eligible teachers for up to 10 years.

To be eligible for retention benefit teachers and principals will need to:

• Be temporarily or permanently employed, either in a full-time or part-time teaching role
• Work in one of the remote schools or remote Connected Community schools with at least 12 months continuous service
• Achieve satisfactory compliance with the department?s performance development program.

More details are available in the Retention Benefit Procedure (DOCX 85.61KB) (staff only).

Transferred officer's compensation

Permanent teachers appointed to a new location who are required to move residence may be entitled to compensation under the Determination for Transferred Officers Compensation (PDF 0.1MB).

Transferred officer means an officer who has been appointed to a new location for an indefinite period of time (other than from one part of the Sydney metropolitan area to another) and as a consequence of that appointment find it necessary to leave their existing residence and to take up a new residence. Transferred officer's compensation does not include an officer on first employment, re-employment or transferred at their own request. Transferred officers are subject to the appointment, service and distance requirements of Clause 1(u) of the determination. The Teacher Recruitment team determines eligibility for compensation on appointment.

Rural and Remote Relocation Support Payment

The department may provide a Rural and Remote Relocation Support Payment of $5,000 or $8,000 (less tax) to teachers, school counsellors and psychologists at rural and remote incentive schools.

For more information, see the Rural and Remote Relocations Payment Support Payment procedure.

Stamp Duty Relief Payment

A teacher, school counsellor or school psychologist at a rural or remote incentive school may be eligible to receive a Stamp Duty Relief Payment of up to $10,000.

For more information, see the Stamp Duty Relief Payment Procedure.