The Military Superannuation Review

 

Current Status:    The public consultation period for submissions on The Report of the Review into Military Superannuation Arrangements closed on 31 March 2008.  The Government is now considering its position on the Review recommendations.

The Report of the Review into Military Superannuation Arrangements was publicly released by the Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, on 24 December 2007.

 

Media Release dated 24 December 2007


The Minister stated that “Although the review team consulted widely before submitting its report, the Rudd Government will provide further opportunity for public comment about the review’s findings and recommendations.”

 

Interested parties were provided with three months to comment on the report and its recommendations between 24 December 2007 and 31 March 2008. Parties were asked to first consider the original Terms of Reference for the Review and the Review Team’s Guiding Principles. 

 

The period for public comment closed on 31 March 2008.

 

The Executive Summary provides a précis of the report and include the Review recommendations. 

 

Full report [PDF 2.33MB]

Chapter listing

 

  Background

 

The Hon Bruce Billson MP, the then Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, announced a review of Military Superannuation on 27 February 2007.  

 

The Report of the Review was submitted to the previous Government on 31 July 2007, but no decision had been made in respect of the Review before the 2007 Federal Election was conducted.

 

The Review was conducted by an independent Review Team and the Report is framed against the Terms of Reference.  In respect of the TORs the Review observed:

 

“The Terms of Reference (TORs) identify two principles that provide the philosophical context for the Review. Firstly, the ‘unique nature of military service’ requires careful consideration of the design features in military superannuation schemes. Secondly, superannuation benefits are a key component of ADF conditions of service and have the potential to contribute to recruitment and retention in the ADF.

 

In summary, the TORs require:

·            a review of the current schemes against the two principles, and in light of the contemporary superannuation framework in Australia and best practice superannuation, as well as developments in the ADF and elsewhere relevant to military superannuation arrangements, and

·            analysis of a list of specific technical design issues of enduring interest to stakeholders that mostly concern the current schemes. This list was supplemented by the Minister’s letter to the Review Team requesting a review of the payment of superannuation benefits to individuals remanded in custody.

In making recommendations, the TORs require, inter alia, that they be consistent with the spirit and requirements of the regulatory environment for superannuation, and not be detrimental to former and current members of the ADF.”

 

Changes in the superannuation Environment

Changes in Defence Employment

Conduct of the Review

 

 

To obtain hard copies of the Report please email militarysuper.review@defence.gov.au

 

Last updated: 1 April 2008