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Reconciliation and Rest

As one of Australia’s largest profit-to-member super funds, we recognise the role we can play in achieving reconciliation and addressing inequalities that exist for First Nations.

With more than 2 million Rest members, we represent the equivalent of one in seven working Australians. We estimate we have tens of thousands of members who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We recognise there are unique challenges facing our First Nations members that can affect their access to and experience of the superannuation system.

People

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a lower life expectancy and are therefore less likely to reach preservation age to access their super.1

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are 3 x more likely to experience financial stress in retirement.1

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First Nations kinship structures are not reflected in laws applying to super death benefits.

Understanding the needs and experiences of our First Nations members, is important to us so we can better design our products and services to help all our members achieve their personal best retirement outcomes.

1. Dockery, A. M. (2020) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and the Superannuation System. Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and UniSuper.

Our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

Cover of Rest's Reconciliation Action Plan

Our RAP formalises our commitment to addressing the inequalities that exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It outlines how we’re embedding the principles and purpose of reconciliation across our organisation and the actions we’re taking to support First Nations members, businesses and communities.

Our RAP aligns with our sustainability approach, which is centred on helping our members achieve the best-possible retirement outcomes through actions focused on supporting a better, fairer and more sustainable future.

Some of our RAP key areas of focus and action include:

  • Investigating opportunities to increase the cultural appropriateness of our products and services for First Nations members.

  • Building respectful relationships and mutually beneficially partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples including individuals, organisations and communities.

  • Through company engagement seek to understand and where necessary advocate for improvements in how companies manage relationships with Traditional Owners and communicate our expectations.

  • Taking steps to bring First Nations cultures into our organisation and demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Read our RAP in full

Our Reconciliation Action Plan artwork

Maggie-Jean Douglas

Rest’s RAP artwork has been created by Maggie-Jean Douglas

Maggie-Jean Douglas is a young artist living in Canberra, originally from Bundaberg. Maggie is a Gubbi Gubbi woman who grew up on Goreng Goreng land.

“The piece has a main theme of people, focusing on the services they provide to their members as a community; which includes a large number of First Nations people. It was important to capture the way Rest values their members and gives back to their First Nations community as well as their members as a whole. The piece includes the brand colours to accompany the meaning and show their pride in what they’re able to achieve even further.” – Maggie-Jean Douglas

Reconciliation partnership

We’re privileged to work with First Nations Foundation (FNF) to support reconciliation efforts at Rest and beyond. FNF provides advisory services to our RAP Working Group and we’re proud to work with them to support a range of events and initiatives. 

Visit the FNF website
Big Super Day Out
First Nations Foundation (FNF) logo
Big Super Day Out
Big Super Day Out

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We also pay our respects to Elders past and present.

We acknowledge the ongoing connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to this land and recognise them as the original custodians of this land.