Novated Leasing in Geelong – Less Tax, More Car

Geelong is having a moment. After decades defined by the Ford plant and manufacturing, the city has reinvented itself around health, education, government services, and a growing professional workforce. And with the Geelong fast rail corridor putting Melbourne's CBD roughly 60–80 minutes away, a lot of Geelong residents are doing exactly that commute every day or a few times a week.

That commute is exactly why a novated lease — and especially an EV on a novated lease — makes unusual sense here. A return trip to Melbourne Southern Cross and back is around 160 km. Most modern EVs handle that comfortably on a single charge, and under current federal rules, eligible battery electric vehicles on a novated lease can be FBT-exempt, meaning your employer makes the lease and running-cost payments from your pre-tax salary with no fringe benefits tax applied. The result is a lower taxable income and a meaningfully lower out-of-pocket cost compared with buying the same car outright or through a standard car loan.

Geelong also sits in Victoria, which has its own considerations — and a few catches worth knowing before you sign anything.

What's different about novated leasing in Victoria?

Victoria applies stamp duty to vehicle purchases, and that cost is typically bundled into a novated lease the same way it would be in a private sale — so don't assume it disappears. The good news is that stamp duty on many EVs is lower under current VIC rules, and since the full on-road cost (including stamp duty) is packaged into your pre-tax lease payments, you're at least paying it with pre-tax dollars rather than straight from your savings.

On registration: VIC rego costs are factored into your novated lease running-cost budget alongside fuel or charging, insurance, tyres, and servicing. That's one of the genuine conveniences of the structure — one predictable salary deduction covers all of it.

It's worth noting that Victoria introduced, then subsequently wound back, its own EV road-user charge following a High Court challenge. The practical landscape around state-level EV costs in VIC has shifted, so check the current position with us or directly with VicRoads rather than relying on anything you read six months ago. The federal FBT exemption for eligible EVs remains the bigger lever for most employees, and that's where the real tax savings sit under current rules.

Major Geelong employers where novated leasing is pre-approved

Novated leasing is available to any PAYG employee whose employer is willing to run salary packaging — and most large Geelong employers already do. If you work for Barwon Health, University Hospital Geelong, or anywhere within the Barwon South West health network, salary packaging (including novated leasing) is a standard part of your remuneration package. Same story at Deakin University, one of Geelong's largest employers, where staff have access to salary packaging arrangements.

State government employees across Geelong — whether you're with DJCS, the Department of Education, VicRoads, or another agency — are generally eligible through the Victorian Government's salary packaging framework. The City of Greater Geelong as a local government employer, Transport for Victoria, and WorkSafe Victoria are also typically in scope.

On the private side, large employers including those in financial services, professional services, and logistics commonly offer novated leasing as a staff benefit. If your employer isn't already set up, millarX can approach them directly — it costs the employer nothing and takes minimal admin to implement. Don't assume you're locked out just because your HR team hasn't mentioned it.

Common questions from Geelong employees