HESTA scored the highest customer satisfaction rating among industry and retail funds, according to independent research agency Roy Morgan’s latest Superannuation Satisfaction Report. 

Measuring customer satisfaction ratings for the six months from January to June 2021, the report found HESTA (Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia) was the leading major superannuation fund as satisfaction reached record levels during the reporting period.

“Our focus on putting members first in everything we do sees us continually look to improve the experience our members have with us and drives innovation in how we support members to have a better financial future,” HESTA chief experience officer Lisa Samuels said.

Ms Samuels said the focus on delivering outstanding investment performance, while also having a positive impact, has helped contribute to strong member satisfaction levels.

“Our members consistently tell us that they want us to be a gutsy advocate on the issues that impact them and their financial futures,” Ms Samuels said.

“We know issues like gender discrimination and climate change are risks that can affect the long-term performance of companies our members are invested in. That’s why our focus on global leadership in responsible investment sees us continue to find new ways to deliver strong, sustainable investment performance for members.”

HESTA’s Sustainable Growth option was last week named the country’s top performing balanced option for the year, leading across one, three, five, seven, 10 and 15-year timeframes^*, according to third party ratings agency, SuperRatings’ latest Fund Crediting Rate Survey.

The Sustainable Growth investment option achieved a stellar 23.03 percent return for the FY20/21 financial year and delivered 11.28 percent a year over a rolling 10-year period to 30 June 2021^#. It was also the leading option across 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20-year time periods, compared with other dedicated sustainable investment options^{^}.

The MySuper authorised option, Balanced Growth, also achieving a record 19.03 percent return for the financial year and 8.87 percent a year over 10 years ^#. According to SuperRatings, Balanced Growth achieved top quartile performance versus other balanced options over three, five, seven, 10 and 20-year time periods^*.

“Our members know they can have a positive impact through their super while also benefitting from leading investment performance to help them achieve a more secure financial future and a better world to retire into,” Ms Samuels said.

About HESTA

HESTA is the largest superannuation fund dedicated to Australia’s health and community services sector. An industry fund, HESTA has over 880,000 members and manages more than $62 billion in assets. As a responsible steward of their members’ retirement savings, HESTA focuses on achieving strong, sustainable, long-term returns while making a positive difference to the world members will retire into.

 References

^ SuperRatings Sustainable Fund Crediting Survey June 2021
* SuperRatings Fund Crediting Survey June 2021, Balanced (60-76)

^#Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Investment returns for HESTA Retirement Income Stream are different to those presented in this Media Release refer to www.hesta.com.au for further details of investment performance for all investment options.

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hear from key industry bodies, as well as from a range of financial advice firms at a public hearing via videoconference on Thursday July 29, 2021, as part of its ongoing Review of the Four Major Banks and other Financial Institutions.

The chair of the committee, Tim Wilson MP, said, "These hearings are an important mechanism for the Parliament to publicly scrutinise and hold Australia’s financial advice sector to account.

"Many Australians turn to financial advisers and mortgage brokers to help them navigate important financial decisions, such as finding the right mortgage or determining how to best invest in and secure their retirement. It is essential that Australians can trust that financial advisers and mortgage brokers are always acting in their client’s best interests, rather than the interests of the adviser or any third parties.

"The committee is looking froward to hearing what lessons have been learned by the industry over the course of the pandemic and what policy changes and technological innovations have been adopted in light of the Hayne Royal Commission.

"There is ongoing anger and frustration from financial advisers about regulation surrounding their sector, the Committee will also scrutinise the justification and consequences that lead to financial advisers leaving the sector and the increasing limit of financial advice to those who cannot afford upfront payments."

Following the Financial Advice hearing, IFM Investors will appear before the committee from 4.15pm for a superannuation sector hearing.

Public hearing details

Financial Advice

Date: Thursday, 29 July 2021
Time: 9am to 3.45pm
Location: Videoconference

Superannuation

Date: Thursday, 29 July 2021
Time: 4.15pm to 5.15pm
Location: Videoconference

The hearings will be webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will be on a virtual road trip this week as part of the committee’s inquiry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).

RCEP is a regional free trade agreement between Australia and the countries of ASEAN, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

Committee chair Dave Sharma MP said, "The committee will be holding three virtual public hearings this week, including witnesses from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Canberra. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions have meant the Committee is unable to hold these hearings in-person as planned."

The committee will discuss a broad range of issues associated with RCEP, including trade in goods, intellectual property, services, health, and human rights.

Public hearing details

​Tuesday 27 July 2021
Time: 9.30am – 11.30am AEST
The program for this hearing is available online.
​The hearing can be accessed online.

Wednesday 28 July 2021
Time: 10am – 12 noon AEST
The program for this hearing is available online.
​The hearing can be accessed online.

​Friday 30 July 2021
Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm AEST
The program for this hearing is available online.
​The hearing can be accessed online.

Further information on the inquiry can be found on the inquiry website.

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THE COVID-induced Australian construction boom has led to a timber shortage that has a growing number of buyers turning to Sweetman Renewable Timbers (SRT) in an effort to shore up supply.

Australian federal and state governments have recognised the potential of the industry to help lead the post-COVID economy revival, with the latest round of government budgets directing a quarter of a trillion dollars to infrastructure projects from 2020-21 to 2023-24, Deloitte Access Economics figures show. 

The value of total building work done in Australia during the March quarter rose 3 percent to $30.4 billion compared with the previous quarter, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while new homes being built jumped 40.6 percent compared to the March quarter of 2020.

The Housing Industry Association said the record volume of building has led to material shortages.

At the same time, the 2019-2020 bushfires and lack of new plantation investment over more than a decade have further exacerbated the chronic timber product supply, which is having serious implications for building and construction activity. A division of Sweetman Renewables Ltd, SRT’s sawmill and timber processing facilities in the Hunter Valley, NSW is the only hardwood sawmill between Sydney and Newcastle, and is built on the sawmilling business established by the Sweetman family a hundred years ago.

SRT’s managing director for timber, Campbell McInnes commented on the company's direction, “We are working to strengthen long-term timber products supply arrangements with major timber wholesalers, and other companies in the building products supply chain.

"This will include expanding existing hardwood sawmilling capacity, increasing the production of quality hardwood products from certified forests and plantations. We are also seeking to develop additional avenues of log supply and timber products sources.

“With expanded opportunities for authorised log supplies, SRT will be able to make a valuable contribution to timber products supply to wholesalers, merchants and to construction and building customers.”

Sweetman Renewables chairman John Halkett said the company had a focus squarely on quality timber production and sustainable forest and plantation management via SRT, plus its biomass to renewable energy initiatives through its Sweetman Biomass division.

"Sweetman Renewables is proud of its ability to make a meaningful contribution towards sustainability, carbon storage and renewable energy that will collectively assist climate change abatement,” he said.

As well as planning capital expenditure to improve sawmilling and timber processing productivity, SRT will have the capacity to offer a wide range of timber products through an expanded timber products supply capability that includes a collaborative arrangement with a major timber products wholesaler, with a network of wholesale facilities across Australia.

“Our increased synergies across the supply chain will assist in strengthening the commercial performance of SRT’s sawmilling and timber processing operation in the Hunter Valley. This will also bring positive regional development and employment opportunities to the region,” Mr Halkett said.

www.sweetmanrenewables.com.au

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