APS Relocation Moves: What Government Employees Need to Know

Canberra Removals · 27 June 2026

The Australian Public Service employs more than 170,000 people, with Canberra the home of the largest concentration of Commonwealth agencies. Postings, role changes, and machinery-of-government restructures mean a steady flow of people moving into the capital, out of it, or across it. If you’re facing an APS relocation, the process has some features that are genuinely different from a private-sector move, and worth understanding before you start getting quotes.

What relocation assistance typically covers

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) sets the framework for relocation assistance across the Commonwealth. Under this framework, employees who are directed (not merely invited) to relocate are generally entitled to assistance with the reasonable costs of moving their household effects to the new location.

In practice this covers the physical removal of furniture and household goods, and often storage for a defined period if there is a gap between vacating your old home and settling into the new one.

What “reasonable” means in dollar terms varies by agency. Your entitlement is set by your agency’s Enterprise Agreement (EA), which may provide a higher floor than the APSC baseline, and by any relevant agency-specific policy. Some agencies cap the reimbursement; others reimburse actuals up to a defined limit.

The critical step: confirm your entitlement with your agency’s HR team before you commit to a removalist. They can tell you whether you are covered, the dollar limit, the required quote format, and whether the agency books directly or reimburses you.

Comcare and workplace health

Comcare, the Commonwealth workplace safety regulator and insurer, covers Commonwealth employees under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. A relocation does not automatically create a Comcare claim, but if an injury occurs during the move, Comcare is the relevant insurer. This is a separate matter from your relocation allowance. It is worth knowing if you have any existing injury or health consideration that could be affected by a move: contact Comcare or your agency’s WHS team before the move, not after.

The Canberra-Sydney corridor

Canberra to Sydney is approximately 290km via the Federal Highway and the Hume Highway. By truck, allow three to four hours one-way, with the Goulburn section and the approach to Sydney the main variables.

This is one of the most frequently travelled interstate removals routes in Australia, and APS postings are a significant part of why. For this corridor, you have two main options.

Dedicated move: a truck loaded with your furniture alone, running on your schedule. This is the right call when your posting has a firm date and you need certainty about the delivery window. It costs more.

Backload: your furniture shares a truck with another customer’s load, typically at a lower rate. This works well when your timing is flexible by a few days. It is harder to get an itemised quote for agency reimbursement purposes, so check with HR first.

Defence postings sometimes involve Defence Housing Australia (DHA), which has its own preferred contractor arrangements. If your posting is through Defence, check with DHA before engaging a removalist independently.

Planning around APS cycles

Two windows book out fast for Canberra removalists.

Financial year end (June-July): The APS budget and reporting cycle drives a concentration of role changes, contract completions, and posting confirmations around this window. New employees starting in July, staff transferring ahead of a restructure, and people whose temporary duty ends at 30 June all need to move in a short window. Removalists in Canberra fill up weeks in advance. If you know your move falls in this period, start the booking process as soon as you have a confirmed posting date, not when you have a confirmed housing situation.

New parliamentary term post-election: A change of government brings machinery-of-government changes: departments restructured, secretaries changed, whole divisions reallocated. This creates a secondary peak that is harder to predict but no less real. After a federal election, Canberra removalists often see a six-to-eight week spike in demand.

Book early. The cost of being locked out of your preferred removalist for a government-dictated move date is higher than the cost of locking in early and adjusting if you need to.

What makes an APS move different

A few features set government household moves apart from the typical private-sector relocation.

Timeline is externally set. You don’t always get to choose your move date. Posting confirmations arrive with a commencement date attached. This means less flexibility to shop for the cheapest slot or wait for the removalist you prefer to have an opening.

IT equipment. Many APS employees work from home and have agency-issued equipment: a laptop, screens, docking station, possibly secure-call hardware. This equipment does not travel with your household goods. It goes back to the agency and is reissued at the new location, or it travels via the agency’s own logistics. Confirm the IT handback process with your manager well before the move; missing a laptop handback on moving day creates problems.

Security considerations. Some roles involve sensitive materials: classified documents, agency mobile devices, or physical assets. These should never be packed with household goods or left in a removalist’s custody. Coordinate with your agency’s security team about how any official materials leave your current workplace, and ensure nothing classified travels with the furniture.

Itemised quotes for reimbursement. Agencies typically require a formal itemised quote for any reimbursement claim. This means a written quote that breaks down the cost by service component (labour, truck, travel, storage if applicable), not just a total. Ask your removalist to provide this format explicitly, and check the format against what your agency’s finance team requires before you sign anything.

Practical checklist

Before you book:

1. Confirm your entitlement with agency HR: dollar limit, reimbursement process, required quote format.
2. Get at least two itemised written quotes and save them with your reimbursement paperwork.
3. Check your building (old and new) for access restrictions: boom gates, lift bookings, body corporate requirements.
4. Coordinate IT equipment return with your manager.
5. If your role involves classified materials, consult your agency’s security advisor before the move date.
6. If moving June-July or post-election, book as soon as your posting date is confirmed.

For the Canberra region specifically, Canberra Removals handles the ACT and the Canberra-Sydney corridor. We are familiar with the APS relocation process, can provide itemised quotes in the format agencies require, and can work around the access realities of Canberra’s government-adjacent suburbs. Request a quote or call us on 02 5114 2571.

Common questions

Does the APS cover the full cost of a removal?

The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) framework provides removal and storage assistance for employees directed to relocate, but the exact entitlement varies by agency. Most agencies use the APSC's Workplace Bargaining Policy as a floor, with additional provisions in their Enterprise Agreement. The entitlement typically covers reasonable removal costs, not a blank cheque. Your agency's HR team can confirm your specific entitlement before you commit to a removalist.

What is the Canberra-Sydney corridor like for an APS move?

The Federal Highway and Hume Highway route is about 290km and three to four hours by road (shorter by truck, depending on traffic). Canberra-Sydney is one of the most common interstate removals routes in Australia, partly driven by APS postings. A dedicated truck runs on a fixed schedule; a backload shares space at a lower rate when your dates are flexible.

When do most APS moves happen?

The financial year end (June-July) and the start of a new parliamentary term are the busiest APS relocation periods. ACT removalists book out early during these windows. If your posting has a confirmed date, locking in a removalist as soon as possible is worth doing.