We return to remote communities to offer super support
28 July 2022
5
min read
Our team has made their first visit to remote communities in the Torres Strait Islands since COVID-19 shut down travel in 2020-21, with the aim of connecting with members and supporting their financial wellbeing.
The QSuper team has a history of remote region visits, which help us learn more about the issues that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those living in remote communities, can experience when attempting to access and engage with their super.
Since 2018, QSuper staff have travelled to remote communities in Thursday Island, Horn Island, Darnley Island, Doomadgee, Yarrabah, Bamaga, Northern Peninsula Area, and Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands) in South Australia.
Over the years, the visits have resulted in:
- $6 million in lost or unclaimed super being reunited with members
- More than 250 multiple accounts being consolidated
- About $8 million in deceased estate payments being finalised.
QSuper is now a part of Australian Retirement Trust, the super fund formed through the merger with Sunsuper. We’re one of Australia’s largest super funds and proud to take care of over $200 billion in retirement savings for more than two million members. As a fund that works for members, not shareholders, we work in members’ best interests, and are committed to returning profits to them as lower fees and better services.
Connecting remote communities with their super
In May, our representatives travelled to communities on Thursday (Waiben) and Horn (Ngurupai/Narupai) Islands, about 40 kilometres north of Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland, and Darnley (Erub) Island, about 200 kilometres northeast of Cape York and 60 kilometres south of Papua New Guinea.
During the team’s week-long visit, they met with hundreds of QSuper account-holders and other community residents. They listened to their stories and worked together to find practical ways to overcome obstacles that prevent our remote members from accessing and engaging with their super.
These challenges include access to education and information about super, access to technology, medical practitioners, officials available to certify documentation, and even the ability to download and print documents.
Benefits of hands-on support
Australian Retirement Trust Principal Technical Specialist Graeme Marrinan met a man who sought advice about a contribution strategy.
“He was financially savvy but wasn’t across superannuation and needed some guidance and help on how to obtain advice about his super over the next few years before he retires,” Mr Marrinan said.
Member Education Officer Steven Fehring spoke with a man who had been preparing to make a long and complicated trip to Brisbane to open a transition to retirement income account.
With the technology we’d set up for our visit we were able to help him to open the new account for him on the spot," Mr Fehring said
Mr Fehring added that since QSuper had become part of Australian Retirement Trust (ART), the ART member base across the islands in the Torres Strait had grown quickly.
“We now have more than 1,500 ART members,” he said. “ART is well aware of the tyranny of distance and technology challenges islands have, so meeting community residents face to face instils incredible goodwill, and an increasing number of members contact us and become engaged with their superannuation.”
Inclusive event for financial wellbeing
Like-minded partners supported the community visits and included:
- Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN) provided valuable consumer education, advocacy, and financial counselling services.
- Department of Justice and Attorney-General staff assisted community members in becoming Justices of the Peace and obtaining Birth, Death and Marriage certificates.
- Good Shepherd Microfinance provides financial counselling programs that assist people in developing a healthy relationship with money and becoming financially secure. They also assist in providing No Interest Loans for low-income individuals and families with access to safe, fair, and affordable credit.
- QMV provides independent advisory, consulting, technology, and legal services across the superannuation, wealth management, and insurance industries.
- Gold Coast Titans supplied merchandise for community members.