Payday super legislation plea as Durack revealed as worst WA spot for underpayments

The federal electorate of Durack has been revealed as the worst spot in WA when it comes to unpaid super. One in four workers in Western Australia were underpaid their super in 2022-23, representing a loss in retirement savings of $676 million in a year, according to analysis of new ATO data by the Super Members Council. The analysis found that 370,000 WA workers were shortchanged by an average of $1790 a year in super, adding up to a Statewide total of $3.3 billion. But Durack had the highest levels of unpaid super over the past six years, now sitting at $251 million. It follows analysis by the Federal Treasury published in March which backed laws to ensure superannuation is dished out on pay day — rather than quarterly — thus, they said, improving oversight and lowering the risk of businesses accruing big unpaid debts. The Super Members Council said shortfalls in places like Durack could only be curbed by such a law, adding they were disappointed the legislation wasn’t on the Government’s program for the first parliamentary sitting fortnight. SMC chief executive Misha Schubert said Australians couldn’t afford for the new laws to be delayed. “It’s disappointing the Government didn’t make payday super legislation a priority in the first sitting fortnight when millions of everyday Australians are losing $110 million a week in retirement savings,” she said. “The average worker in West Australia could be shortchanged more than $30,000 from their final retirement nest egg if unpaid super isn’t fixed urgently. “We urge all parliamentarians to get on with passing payday super legislation in the first 100 days of this Parliament.”