PayCheckR / Enterprise agreements / AE530754

Newcastle Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACM - Australian Community Media) enterprise agreement pay rates

This page lists the pay rates in the Newcastle Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACM - Australian Community Media) enterprise agreement (AE530754). The agreement was approved by the Fair Work Commission and sets the minimum pay for the staff it covers. The rates below are the agreement minimums; overtime, penalties and allowances can lift what you actually take home.

Who this agreement covers

Australian Community Media Journalists' NSW/ACT Enterprise Agreement 2025 covers editorial employees (reporters, photographers, designers, cartoonists, producers, sub-editors, trainees) at four related ACM newspaper employers: Federal Capital Press (Canberra Times), Illawarra Newspaper Holdings (Illawarra Mercury), Newcastle Newspapers (Newcastle Herald) and Regional Publishers (Daily Advertiser, Western Advocate, Daily Liberal, Central Western Daily, Northern Daily Leader). Single-enterprise agreement under s 172(5A); MEAA bargaining rep. 38 hr week.

Rates last updated 26 August 2026.

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Agreement details

Code
AE530754
Industry
Journalism
Ordinary hours
38 per week
Casual loading
20%
Union
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
Nominal expiry
21 October 2028

Roles covered

Some of the roles this agreement may cover at the Newcastle Newspapers Pty Ltd (ACM - Australian Community Media). You can open any role to see its indicative rates.

Minimum pay rates

Full-time pay runs from $1,084.08 per week ($28.53 per hour) at the entry level up to $3,269.39 per week at the top, across 34 classifications. A few examples:

ClassificationWeekly (full-time)Per hour
Metro Level 1 - Journalist/Photographer/DesignerMetro Editorial Employee Level 1 (Band 1) - entry level Journalist, Photographer or Designer post-traineeship; performs journalistic/photographic duties under broad supervision....$1,337.34$35.19
Metro Level 2Metro Editorial Employee Level 2 (Band 1) - gaining experience, decreasing supervision. Auto-progresses to L3 on anniversary (cl 3.5(b)(ii)). Min rate for part-time Metro Employ...$1,511.82$39.78
Metro Level 3Metro Editorial Employee Level 3 (Band 1) - exercising independent initiative and judgment. Base rate for Metro casuals at L1-L4 + 20% loading (cl 4.1(d)(i)). Auto-progresses to...$1,744.61$45.91

The rate for every classification, plus casual rates, is in the pay checker below.

What else it sets

  • Penalty rates for weekends, public holidays and overtime.
  • 11 allowances (for example Spectacle Allowance (frames), Motor Vehicle Allowance, Casual Loading (Metro)).

The exact penalty multipliers and allowance amounts are applied when you check your pay.

Wondering if your pay adds up?

If you share your hours and what you were paid, we can compare it against these rates, including penalties and overtime. It's free, takes a couple of minutes, and there's no account needed to start.

Check my pay

Rates are sourced from Fair Work Commission data and shown as a guide. They can change, and your circumstances may differ. Verify against your payslip and the official instrument before acting. For advice, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or a registered employment lawyer.