Portable long service leave in the Australian Capital Territory
Last reviewed: 14 August 2026. Every figure checked against each scheme's own website. Information only. The scheme is the authority on your entitlement.
The ACT covers more industries than any other jurisdiction (building and construction, community sector, security, contract cleaning and the services industry) all under one authority and one Act. It also has the shortest qualifying period in the country for community sector workers, and it is still expanding.
The Australian Capital Territory also has portable long service leave for community sector, contract cleaning, security, services industry. Each is set out below.
ACT Leave: Building and Construction Industry Scheme
Administered by: ACT Leave
| Who it covers | Building and construction |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 10 years of service (for service accrued on or after 1 January 1997) [source] |
| Entitlement | 13 weeks for every 10 years of service [source] |
| How it is funded | From 1 October 2024 the employer levy rate for the Building and Construction Industry scheme increased to 2.75%, up from 2.35%. [source] |
- Service accrued before 1 January 1997 accrued at 13 weeks for every 15 years of service. [source]
- All ACT portable schemes operate under the Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Act 2009. [source]
ACT Leave: Community Sector Scheme
Administered by: ACT Leave
| Who it covers | Community sector |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 5 years of service (if registered in the ACT community sector scheme on or after 1 July 2010) [source] |
| Entitlement | 4.33 weeks of leave for 5 years of service, then 0.867 weeks for every year after that [source] |
- The ACT community sector scheme has the shortest qualifying period of any portable long service scheme in Australia: 5 years, against 7 to 10 years elsewhere. [source]
ACT Leave: Security Industry Scheme
Administered by: ACT Leave
| Who it covers | Security |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 7 years of service (if registered in the ACT security industry scheme on or after 1 January 2013) [source] |
| Entitlement | 6.06 weeks of leave for every 7 years of service [source] |
ACT Leave: Services Industry Scheme
Administered by: ACT Leave
| Who it covers | Services industry |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 7 years of recorded service in the industry [source] |
| Entitlement | 6.06 weeks of leave after 7 years, then 0.867 weeks for every year after that [source] |
- From 1 January 2027 the Services Industry Scheme expands to include hairdressing and beauty services. [source]
ACT Leave: Contract Cleaning Industry Scheme
Administered by: ACT Leave
| Who it covers | Contract cleaning |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | Not stated on the scheme's site; check with the scheme |
| Entitlement | Not stated on the scheme's site; check with the scheme |
- AUSLEAVE lists contract cleaning among the ACT's covered industries. Qualifying period and entitlement were not separately verified for this scheme. Confirm directly with ACT Leave. [source]
Registering and having your service recorded
Eligible employers in covered industries must register with ACT Leave under the Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Act 2009 [source]. Which scheme you are in depends on your industry, and the accrual rates differ between them.
Claim forms for each scheme, including leaving-the-industry and total-incapacity claims, are published on the ACT Leave site.
If you have worked in more than one state
Construction service is recognised across every state and territory under a National Reciprocal Agreement, so work in ACT can count towards an entitlement elsewhere, but only if the schemes know about it. Outside construction, portability between states is inconsistent. Read what happens to your entitlement when you move states.