Swinburne Vehicle Hire and Lease

	Day Vehicle Hire
	Overnight Vehicle Hire
	Thrifty Car Rental
	Vehicle Lease (Calculating the Fringe Benefit Tax)

Day Hire

The University provides and maintains a vehicle fleet with a range of vehicle types appropriate to the needs of the University operations. Such vehicles form the University vehicle pool and are available for use by authorised personnel for travel associated with the conduct of University business and activities.

To book a vehicle, please contact:
Beverly Park
Phone: (03) 9214 8999
Email: bpark@swin.edu.au

Or
Margaret Sessions
Phone: (03) 9214 8999
Email: msessions@swin.edu.au

Instructions and Terms of Use
Only Swinburne staff and students who present a current Swinburne identification card can use
this facility. For Students, a booking must be made by the student’s Department Administrator.

Pool Vehicles are located at 19 Wakefield Street Multideck Car Park, Second level. Keys are to be picked up and returned to the Facilities and Services Group between the hours of 8.00 am and 4.30 pm. Outside these hours, return keys to Security located 1 Alfred street Hawthorn.

Please return vehicles with at least ½ tank of fuel (a Mobil fuel card is located in the vehicle glove box; please leave the receipt in the glove box).

Please keep the vehicle clean and tidy, smoking is not permitted in the vehicle.

Log Book
Please complete an entry in the vehicle log book, including the account code and odometer reading, when picking up and returning keys to the Facilities and Services Office (during office hours), or telephone (voicemail) or email Beverly Park (03) 9214 8999
bpark@swin.edu.au or Margaret Sessions (03) 9214 8999 msessions@swin.edu.au with your odometer reading, if after hours.
.
Vehicle Usage Costs
Swinburne charges 60 cents per kilometre for pool vehicle usage. This will be back charged
to the related department once the vehicle has been returned.

Infringements and Road Traffic Laws
Whilst you have the permission to use Swinburne pool vehicles you acknowledge and agree that
Swinburne University will not accept any responsibility for traffic infringements or parking infringements you are responsible for. The driver of the vehicle must hold a current Australian drivers licence, and at all times comply with Road Traffic Laws of the State the vehicle is being driven. All infringements will be forwarded to the driver of the vehicle.

Accidents and Defects
Any damage to the vehicle or defects must be reported to the Insurance Officer, John Wester, on 9214 8238, and the Fleet Vehicle Manager, Peter Collis, on 9214 8446, once the vehicle is returned. Accident insurance excess will be charged to the related department if liable.

Business Use
The use of the vehicle must be at all times be related to Swinburne business as an employee or student. If the vehicle is being used overnight the vehicle must not be used for personal purposes other than from work to home, home to work or the place of business to home.

Overnight Hire

Please download and complete the appopriate form to request overnight hire of a Swinburne Vehicle.

Hawthorn Overnight use of Vehicle Authorisation
Prahran Overnight use of Vehicle Authorisation

Please note that the terms and conditions for day hire also apply for overnight hire of Swinburne Vehicles.

Thrifty Car Hire

The Australian Universities Procurement Consortium (AUPC) has an Agreement with Thrifty Car Rental for the provision of car rental services to all AVCC Universities throughout Australia. Through this Agreement Thrifty provides year round fixed low rates that are available Australia wide. These rates are also available for staff and students to use for private use.

About Thrifty
Thrifty is one of Australia's largest and most dynamic car rental companies with over 260 locations, represented in every state, territory, capital city, major city and also in regional and remote centres. Thrifty is also part of one of the largest worldwide global networks, operating in more than 70 countries around the globe.

Thrifty is an Australian owned and operated company with a fleet of more than 7,500 vehicles including an extensive range of cars, trucks, vans, utes 4WD's and buses. Thrifty's fleet is among the youngest in the industry with an average age of just 6 months.

What Thrifty provides Swinburne University of Technology
Personal Account Manager (Anthony Herridge) available 24/7
FREE delivery within 20kms of a Thrifty location (not to private residences)
Year round fixed low rates
Staff and student leisure rentals at the same rates as for business rentals
Qantas Frequent Flyer points: 3 points for every dollar spent with Thrifty
24-hour roadside assistance Australia-wide
Greatly reduced accident excess on vehicles: $550.00 for passenger vehicles and $1,650.00 for
commercials, for both business and leisure rentals
No single vehicle accident excess
Client care card (for support and assistance during the rental)
Thrifty's preferred renter program: Blue Chip (see booking procedures below)
No credit card fees
No underage surcharge for drivers under 25 (business rentals only) and no increased accident
excess for drivers under 25 (applies to both business and leisure rentals)

Thrifty Car Rental Booking Procedures

Operating Vehicle Lease (Fringe Benefit Tax)

As part of the Human Resources Department's Staff Benefits Program, Swinburne Employees are able to arrange lease of a vehicle through Salary Packaging. For more information on this scheme, please visit the Human Resources Salaries, Conditions and Benefits website.

Where a staff member plans to travel an estimated annual number of kilometres so that a desired Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) Statutory Formula Method Percentage is achieved, then it is the responsibility of the staff member to ensure that the targeted kilometres are actually travelled for the year ended 31st March. Any variations between the estimated and the actual annual kilometres travelled, which result in the University having to pay for any additional FBT charges, will be collected from the staff member.

Where the FBT charge is reduced as a result of any variations between the actual and the
estimated number of annual kilometres travelled, then the staff member using that vehicle will
be entitled to a refund.

Calculating the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT)
As part of your package you are asked to estimate the distance to be travelled annually for FBT purposes, this figure is then used to set the FBT cost you will bear. Click here for examples of the weekly, monthly and quarterly averages for the annual distances relating to each FBT rate. The FBT rate is calculated using the Statutory Formula Method. The following percentages are applicable.

* The FBT year is the 12 month period that ends on 31 st March.

FBT is calculated for the year ended 31st March and at the end of your lease.

If your lease commences or finishes during the FBT year then the pro-rata kilometres travelled
for the year ended 31st March are calculated to establish the FBT rate for that vehicle for the year ended 31st March. The following formula is used in this calculation:

(A / B) x C, where:
A = number of whole kilometres travelled in the period,
B = number of days in that period, and
C = number of days in the FBT year (usually 365, except in a leap year when it is 366)

The FBT annual return year end date is the 31st March each year and it is at this time you are
asked for the odometer reading of your vehicle. This reading is used to establish the annual FBT rate for the vehicle.

If the number of kilometres travelled during the full 12 months between each 31st March or the calculated pro-rata kilometres is less than the minimum required for the estimated FBT rate
that you have agreed to, you will become liable for the additional FBT charges paid by the
University. However, if the annual kilometres travelled are more than the maximum required
for the estimated FBT rate that you have agreed to, you will be entitled to receive a credit for
the excess FBT that you have paid.

In both of these cases adjustments will be made for the Business Use Discount and Fuel
contribution that form part of your lease.

Examples of how the FBT rules are applied
A vehicle has an estimated FBT rate set at 20% based on the estimated 20,000 kilometres
that are planned to be travelled annually that commences on 1st October 2003 and the FBT
year ends on 31st March 2004. Note that 2004 was a leap year.

(a) On 31st March, 2004, the odometer reading is 8,000 km.

The calculation to establish the actual FBT rate for that vehicle is as follows:

8,000 km (A) divided by 182 days (B), multiplied by 366 (C)
= an annualised distance of 16,088 km

This is more than the minimum kilometres of 15,000 kilometres required to qualify for the 20% FBT rate (20% FBT rate applies for all vehicles that travel between 15,000 and 24,999 kilometres per annum). In this example, no additional liability is incurred for that vehicle as the required pro-rata annual kilometres have been travelled by the vehicle.

(b) On the 31st March 2005 the odometer reading is 22,999 km.

The calculation used to establish the actual FBT rate is based on the odometer reading at the
end of the FBT year on 31st March 2005 less the reading at the beginning of the FBT year
on 31st March 2004. The calculation is made as follows:

22,999 km (2005 reading)- 8,000 km (2004 reading)
= 14,999 km travelled during the FBT year ended 31st March, 2005. This is less than the minimum 15,000 km required to qualify for the 20% rate. Consequently additional FBT charges will be payable by the university. (Please remember that a failure to achieve the minimum estimated kilometres for the year ended 31st March will incur additional FBT charges that are payable by the University, and will be charged to the staff member using that vehicle.)

(c) The lease ends on 1st October 2005 and at that time the odometer reading is 31,000 km.

The pro-rata calculation is made as follows:

The distance travelled during the period 31st March 2005 and 1st October 2005 (A) divided
by the number of days (184) for the period (B) multiplied by 365 (C). Thus:

31,000 km - 22,999 km = 8,001 km travelling between 31st March 2005 and 1st October 2005

(8,001 / 184) x 365 = 15,871 km

This is more than the minimum 15,000 kilometres required to qualify for the 20% FBT rate. In this example, no additional FBT charges are incurred as the estimated kilometres and the pro-rata kilometres meet the requirements to qualify for the 20% FBT rate for the year.

More Information
Car Fringe Benefits (ATO FBT website)
FBT Car Calculator

Motor Vehicle Unavailability
If you do not have use of your vehicle for any period of time, you may be able to declare the
vehicle as being unavailable for the FBT annual calculations. Any FBT liability will be reduced
by any days where your vehicle is deemed unavailable for your use.

For your vehicle to qualify as being unavailable for FBT purposes the following circumstances
need to be satisfied:
The vehicle is garaged on Swinburne property; and
The keys to the vehicle are handed to the Fleet Manager who ensures that the vehicle is
not available for private use by yourself or a family member; or
The vehicle is being repaired and you do not have access for at least a 24 hour period.

Unavailability cannot be claimed if the motor vehicle is in safe storage or in long-term car parking whilst you are interstate or overseas or on a holiday and can only be recorded as full days. If you wish to declare unavailability please complete the Motor Vehicle Unavailability Declaration and hand it along with your car keys to the Fleet Manager.

It is important to note that regardless of any unavailability, you must still reach your required kilometres by the end of the FBT year or your FBT liability may, in fact, be higher.

FBT Statutory Formula Method Percentages