FINANCE
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is paid to all E-4s (over 2 years) and
above. Rates vary with grade and number of dependents. Your servicing Accounting and
Finance Office can provide you with the current rates.
A Housing Allowance (ROLA) is paid to accompanied E-4s (over 2 years) and above for those
families living in Government of Australia (GOA) housing. Families living in USAF
controlled housing do not draw HOLA. HOLA rates vary with grade and type of housing
occupied. Again, the rate can be obtained from your servicing Accounting and Finance
Office.
BAS/subsistence allowance is paid to all officer and accompanied enlisted personnel.
Unaccompanied enlisted personnel do not draw BAS/subsistence
since they are billeted at U.S. Government expense. The pay of unaccompanied officers is
charged on a month by month basis.
BAQ/quarters allowance is paid to members with dependents located in the U.S. and not
residing in Government housing as well as members with their families occupying Government
of Australia housing. There is Air Force controlled housing in Woomera (see housing) and
those families living
in these units forfeit their BAQ/quarters allowance.
Australian surrency is used for all local transactions, including the purchase or U.S.
postage at the APO. The local Accounting and Finance
office can convert U.S. Currency to Australian, but cannot accept checks or travelers
checks for conversion. Woomera has three Australian banks that serve local residents and
Air Force personnel. They will accept and convert U.S. travelers checks, treasury checks
or personal checks from
your U.S. Checking Account.
It is strongly recommended that you arrange to have your pay check sent to a Stateside
checking account. This will permit your check to be mailed directly to the bank by the Air
Force Accounting and Finance Center.
Checks written against the Stateside checking account can be cashed at local banks or
deposited in an Australian checking account.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS/HOLD BAGGAGE
You will probably get many stories about how to ship your household goods and hold baggage
and they will all be "righ t" .The following hints on what-to-do/what-not-to-do
are merely our recommendations based on what has been experienced by Americans moving to
Woomera.
All household goods and hold baggage are shipped to Woomera by MAC C-14l aircraft from
Travis AFB, California. Experience has shown that household goods very often arrive before
hold baggage.
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