Governance and disclosure
Consistent with superannuation industry practice, we are disclosing specific details relating to our governance, Board of Directors and executive officers, products and performance.
Our governing rules
The governing rules relating to GESB are set out in the following:
About our GESB Board
- Current Board of Director profiles (including interests and duties)
- Record of meeting attendance
- Board of Directors remuneration
Our executives' remuneration details
Product Information Booklets
Our Product Information Booklets summarise the key features and membership information for each of our products.
Annual Reports
Our Annual Reports are a vital tool for ensuring financial, performance and operational accountability to the WA State Government and to our members.
Statement of Corporate Intent
Our Statement of Corporate Intent (SCI), outlines our strategic plan for the next 12 months.
The plan provides information on the environment we operate in, our corporate objectives, and the initiatives we'll undertake in the following 12 months to achieve these objectives. It also describes our key performance targets and financial forecasts for the upcoming financial year.
Our strategy - 2023/24
In 2023/24, we remain committed to continuing to provide high quality, value for money superannuation and retirement products and services that meet the needs of our members, employers and the State in a responsible manner.
Learn more about our strategy in the 2023/24 SCI. You can also access our SCI for the last four years:
Significant Event Notices
We notify members in writing of any significant events affecting their membership. Read a summary of Significant Event Notices we have issued to our members.
| Notice date | Effective date | Members affected | Summary of changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2023 | 27 September 2023 | GESB Super, West State Super and Retirement Income Allocated Pension members | We introduced a new Sustainable Balanced investment plan on 27 September 2023. Read our New Sustainable Balanced investment plan notification for more information. |
| October 2022 | 1 October 2022 | GESB Super and West State Super members | Changes to premiums and policy terms and conditions for the Death, Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) insurance and Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) offered through GESB Super and West State Super took effect on 1 October 2022. Read our Insurance changes notification: GESB Super and West State Super (2022) for more information. |
| May 2021 | 19 June 2021 | GESB Super and West State Super members | As a result of negotiations with our Insurer, changes to premiums and policy terms and conditions for the Death, Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) insurance and Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) offered through GESB Super and West State Super took effect on 19 June 2021. For more information, read our Insurance changes notification: GESB Super and West State Super (2021). |
| August 2019 | 1 October 2019 | GESB Super and West State Super members | Changes to premiums and policy terms and conditions for the Death, Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) insurance and Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) offered through GESB Super and West State Super took effect on 1 October 2019. |
| May 2017 | 1 July 2017 | Transition to Retirement Pension members | From 1 July 2017, investment earnings from Transition to Retirement accounts are no longer tax exempt. These earnings are now taxed at a concessional rate of up to 15% For more information, read our Transition to Retirement changes notification. |
| March 2017 | 1 July 2017 | All members | The WA State Government made changes to state super regulations, which meant that we are able to:
For more information, read Changes to super and retirement accounts. |
| March 2016 | 1 July 2016 | GESB Super and West State Super members | We introduced changes to premiums and other policy terms and conditions for Death, Total and Permanent Disablement, and Salary Continuance Insurance cover. For more information, read our Insurance changes notification. |
| March 2016 | 1 July 2016 | All members | We introduced pay-for-service fees for our Retirement Options Service, and for certain transactions such as Family Law splitting and full and partial withdrawals. For more information, read our Service fee notification. Please note: we removed our transaction fees, effective 15 December 2018. |
| February 2015 | 1 July 2015 | GESB Super, West State Super and Retirement Income Pension members | As a result of a pricing review, we introduced changes to our administration fees. For GESB Super, the administration fee for a small number of members increased, while for West State Super and Retirement Income Pension, administration fees were reduced. For more information, see Fee changes to GESB accounts. |
| February 2015 | 1 July 2015 | GESB Super and West State Super members | In line with Australian Prudential Regulation Authority regulated funds and Commonwealth provisions, member protection on GESB Super and West State Super accounts was removed. As a result, administration fees that are higher than the investment earnings for accounts with balances under $1,000 are no longer reimbursed. For more information, read our Product update. |
Our service providers
The table below sets out the name and Australian Business Number of each outsourced service provider engaged by GESB that affects our material business activity:
| Name | Australian Business Number (ABN) |
|---|---|
| Australian Administration Services Pty Ltd | 62 003 429 114 |
| Frontier Advisors Pty Ltd | 21 074 287 406 |
| Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd | 55 153 168 140 |
| The Northern Trust Company | 62 126 279 918 |
Summary of our conflicts management policy
Our conflicts management framework identifies conflicts that may arise in the course of business operations. We have established policies on conflicts of interests to ensure that employees and Board directors are aware of their obligation to disclose all duties or interests they have which may give rise to a conflict of interest. We have also created procedures to understand and avoid, disclose, monitor and manage conflicts of interests.
Our Code of Conduct
GESB’s Code of Conduct provides information to support ethical and accountable behaviour and builds on the requirements of section 9 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 where all employees are required to comply with their agency’s Code of Conduct and:
- Act with integrity in the performance of official duties
- Use official information, equipment and facilities responsibly
- Exercise courtesy, consideration and sensitivity when interacting with members of the public and other employees
Modern slavery statement
We have voluntarily prepared our modern slavery statement in line with our responsibility to members and stakeholders to manage modern slavery risks.
We are committed to identifying modern slavery risks within our operations and supply chains, to avoid directly or indirectly contributing to modern slavery.
Investment governance
Our investment governance statement outlines the legislative requirements and the Treasurer's Prudential Guidelines for Investments, relating to our Board's responsibilities for investing our members' superannuation.
The statement also sets out our investment process, including our approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and proxy voting.
Our Proxy Voting Policy
Investing in equities provides investors with ownership and, in most cases, voting rights. GESB considers it best practice for the right to vote on securities to be exercised. We believe our external fund managers are generally best placed to exercise proxy votes for the securities they manage on our behalf, and in accordance with our obligations and objectives as a WA State Government statutory authority.
During the 2022/23 financial year, there were no instances where we exercised our voting rights due to an actual or perceived conflict of interest or reputation risk for GESB or the State.
All proxy voting is carried out by our appointed investment managers, in line with our Proxy Voting Policy.
Actuarial reports
Thank you for printing this page. Remember to come back to gesb.wa.gov.au for the latest information as our content is updated regularly. This information is correct as at 27 April 2024.