APRA Retirement Reporting Framework: New Super Data From 2027

ByRegReportingDesk

On 10 September 2026 APRA released a revised package of draft reporting standards to implement the Australian Government’s Retirement Reporting Framework, and reopened consultation with submissions due by 9 October 2026. For a superannuation trustee, the practical question is which data fields land on the build backlog, and when. APRA says the first collection period commenced on 1 July 2026 and that the first data collection is expected in late 2027; the exact reporting periods and due dates should be taken from the September 2026 revised draft standards.

The proposed Retirement Reporting Framework is a data collection intended to improve transparency about retirement offerings and member outcomes. APRA expressly says it does not propose collecting additional data on RSE licensees’ implementation of the Retirement Income Covenant or the formulation of retirement income strategies as part of this Framework. That distinction shapes mapping: the proposed returns collect specified data on retirement products, services, member cohorts and member outcomes for use in Framework indicators and metrics, rather than additional data on the content or implementation of each RSE licensee’s retirement income strategy.

Because the standards are still in draft and the consultation is open, the field lists and first-reference dates below reflect APRA’s proposed position and can move on finalisation. The calendar and the shape of the collection, however, are stable enough to plan against now.

Related reading: Australia’s regtech and data-collection direction

The dates that anchor the build

This is a deadline-driven consultation with a longer implementation tail, so the calendar matters more than any single field. The operative dates, drawn from APRA’s 10 September 2026 media release and the draft standards, are:

  • 10 September 2026: APRA released the revised draft standards, a response letter to first-round submissions, an updated Technical Paper and a new Reporting Practice Guide.
  • 9 October 2026: submissions on the revised package close.
  • During 2026: APRA expects to finalise the reporting standards.
  • The proposed collection uses reporting periods extending to 30 June 2027; the applicable first reporting period for each SRS 607.0 table and for SRS 611.1 should be taken from the September 2026 revised draft standards.
  • Late 2027: data collection is expected to begin.
  • Through 2027: APRA will engage with industry on how the resulting data is published.
  • 2028: the first Framework indicators and metrics are expected to be published.

Although the first data collection is expected in late 2027, the draft reporting standards set a first reporting period that commenced on 1 July 2026. Implementation therefore needs to preserve the required 2026-27 reporting-period data while APRA finalises the standards. A trustee that treats 30 June 2027 as the start line will be sourcing member-cohort-level retirement data, testing it and routing it through assurance during a year that also carries the existing superannuation reporting calendar.

What the APRA Retirement Reporting Framework is for

The framework sits within the Government’s retirement phase reforms and connects directly to the retirement income covenant. The retirement income covenant is in subsection 52(8A) of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993: it requires trustees to formulate, regularly review and give effect to a retirement income strategy that meets section 52AA. The covenant took effect on 1 July 2022. The covenant asks trustees to help members balance three objectives across retirement: maximising expected retirement income over the period of retirement, managing the expected risks to the sustainability and stability of that income, and having flexible access to expected funds over the period of retirement.

The Retirement Reporting Framework is intended to improve understanding of how RSE licensees support members to navigate retirement and increase transparency on developments in the retirement income system. APRA expressly excludes additional data on implementation of the Retirement Income Covenant or formulation of retirement income strategies from the proposed Framework. APRA’s stated aim is greater transparency across the retirement phase so trustees can see how members navigate retirement and where support could improve. APRA Deputy Chair David Bradbury framed the revised package as the product of extensive stakeholder engagement.

The September 2026 SRS 607.0, SRS 611.1 and SRS 101.0 documents are revised drafts under consultation, not yet in-force reporting standards. Under section 13 of the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001, APRA may determine reporting standards in writing and those standards are generally legislative instruments. The final instruments, commencement provisions and application dates therefore need to be checked when APRA finalises the package.

Three standards, one collection

The revised package moves three reporting standards together, and they only work read as a set. Two carry the new data. The third defines the language the other two use.

SRS 611.1 Retirement Member Profile is the new member-cohort-level standard. It requires information about the demographics and actions of members who are approaching or in retirement, through Reporting Form SRF 611.1. SRS 607.0 RSE Business Model is the amended fund-level standard, covering the structure of a registrable superannuation entity or pooled superannuation trust, and it now carries the tables that reveal which retirement products and support a fund offers. SRS 101.0 Definitions for Superannuation Data Collections supplies the defined terms, in bold italics, that both forms rely on, and it must be read in conjunction with the wider superannuation reporting suite.

Reading SRS 101.0 as boilerplate is a mistake that surfaces later as validation failures. Terms such as account-based pension, activity fee type and members’ benefit bracket are defined there. The September package revises SRS 101.0 alongside SRS 607.0 and SRS 611.1 and refines definitions including deferred superannuation income stream, purchase price and systemic longevity risk terminology. The exact application provision should be taken from the September 2026 revised SRS 101.0.

Who has to file, and who does not

The reporting entity is the RSE licensee, in respect of each registrable superannuation entity within its business operations. A trustee of more than one RSE reports separately for each. SRS 607.0 reaches wider than SRS 611.1: it applies in respect of each RSE and each pooled superannuation trust, while SRS 611.1 applies in respect of each RSE.

The proposed collection does not cover every APRA-regulated superannuation entity. The draft standards define an RSE so as to exclude a small APRA fund and a single member approved deposit fund, and self-managed super funds sit with the Australian Taxation Office rather than APRA, so neither is drawn into this collection. Within a reporting fund, defined benefit interests remain reportable under the revised SRS 611.1 proposal unless the beneficiary can be excluded under subsection 52AA(3) of the SIS Act. The September revision also temporarily excludes term allocated pensions and other legacy retirement products covered by the Treasury Laws Amendment (Legacy Retirement Product Commutations and Reserves) Regulations 2024 until the five-year transition period concludes in 2029.

Where it plugs into the existing superannuation collections

The Retirement Reporting Framework sits within a fund’s existing reporting obligations. SRS 101.0 defines terms across a wide suite of superannuation reporting standards, including SRS 605.0 RSE Structure, SRS 606.0 RSE Profile, SRS 611.0 Member Accounts, SRS 705.0 Components of Net Return, SRS 705.1 Investment Performance and Objectives, SRS 706.0 Fees and Costs and SRS 604.0 RSE Licensee Profile. Adding SRS 611.1 to that dictionary places the new retirement data inside the same definitional and submission architecture the rest of the collection already uses.

APRA Connect is APRA’s current data-submission platform, and APRA publishes taxonomy artefacts for superannuation collections submitted through it. The Framework reuses and amends parts of APRA’s existing superannuation reporting architecture, including SRS 607.0. APRA’s September response distinguishes the remaining SRS 610 standards: APRA intends to revoke SRS 610.0 (the exact timing should be confirmed against APRA’s September 2026 response letter), SRS 610.1 is included in the D2A-to-APRA Connect migration with no changes planned to its content, scope or due dates, and changes to SRS 610.2 are being considered through the separate Transition of Superannuation D2A data collections to APRA Connect consultation. APRA released its Phase 2 Depth response paper on enhancing superannuation data collections on 6 December 2024, and the retirement standards continue that direction of travel toward richer, member-attributed data. A fund already submitting SRS 605.0, SRS 606.0 and SRS 611.0 through APRA Connect is bolting SRF 611.1 and an expanded SRF 607.0 onto a live pipeline, not standing one up from scratch.

What SRF 611.1 captures at member level

APRA expects the first data collection in late 2027, and the draft reporting standards set a first reporting period that commenced on 1 July 2026. The precise reporting period and filing due date should be taken from the September 2026 revised SRS 611.1. The form splits into three tables: Member Profile and Income, Accumulation Member Exited the RSE, and Pension Member Exited the RSE.

Table 1 is scoped to members aged 60 and above at the end of the reporting period. For each unique combination of member demographics and accounts held, a fund reports member counts, members’ benefits and payments made. Demographics include member age, sex and a members’ benefit bracket. In the September 2026 revision, APRA consolidated the four lowest benefit brackets into a single under-$25,000 bracket and removed member benefit brackets from Tables 2 and 3. Product holdings should follow the categories in the September 2026 revised SRS 611.1. The March 2026 proposal listed account-based pension and allocated pension as separate product categories in Table 1; check the September 2026 revised SRS 611.1 for the current product classification.

SRF 611.1 contains detailed product-scope and unit instructions that should be implemented from the September 2026 revised standard and, once finalised, the corresponding APRA taxonomy rather than carried forward from the March draft.

What SRF 607.0 adds at fund level

SRF 607.0 describes the fund’s business model. In the September 2026 revision, APRA split Table 6 into three access-pathway tables and excluded products supported solely by a defined benefit interest, and legacy products and legacy retirement products, from Table 6. Table 7 continues to cover retirement income solution member support, with relevant items amended to allow multiple referral arrangements.

The September 2026 revised SRS 607.0 continues an existing business-model collection while materially restructuring the retirement-product tables. The exact table-by-table reporting frequencies and due dates should be taken from the September 2026 revised standard rather than carried forward from the March draft.

How the raw data becomes indicators and metrics

APRA’s Technical Paper explains how the Government’s indicators and metrics are calculated and maps the relevant reporting-standard data to those calculations, and it should be read alongside the draft standards. Indicators are reported at the RSE level, while metrics are reported at the RSE level and broken down by member demographics and attributes.

APRA’s September response confirms that the revised Technical Paper has been updated to align with the revised reporting standards and now focuses on the calculations needed for the Framework indicators and metrics. Exact field-to-indicator and field-to-metric mappings should therefore be taken from the September 2026 Technical Paper rather than the March mapping.

Publication design remains subject to APRA’s industry engagement in 2027. In the September response, APRA says it will apply rigorous masking and aggregation practices, including existing masking protocols for small cohorts; the revised collection itself now uses age bands from age 75 and consolidates balances below $25,000. Treating the first year’s numbers as final public metrics would misread APRA’s own caveats.

Submission, authorisation and assurance

APRA Connect is APRA’s current data-submission platform, and APRA publishes taxonomy artefacts to support submissions. The exact submission and authorisation requirements for the Retirement Reporting Framework should be taken from the final reporting standards and the corresponding APRA Connect taxonomy once published.

Assurance is the part that reaches beyond the reporting team. Current SRS 607.0 requires reported information to be produced by systems, procedures and internal controls reviewed and tested by the RSE auditor at least annually and to at least a limited-assurance engagement standard, subject to SPS 310. SPS 310 separately requires limited assurance over the RSE licensee’s systems, procedures and internal controls for reliable APRA data; assurance over information under particular reporting standards is limited to the standards listed in Attachment A. The final assurance requirements for revised SRS 607.0 and new SRS 611.1 should therefore be checked on finalisation. That means the new retirement data cannot sit outside the fund’s controlled reporting environment. It has the same board and senior-management authorisation expectations as the rest of the superannuation return, a point that echoes APRA’s broader focus on risk-management and data governance at licensee level.

What changed in the revised package

APRA first consulted on the framework earlier in 2026 and drew substantial industry feedback. In response, it says it significantly revised the package: streamlining data requirements, refining methodologies and definitions, and developing the new Reporting Practice Guide that accompanies SRF 611.1. The additional consultation period gives industry time to consider and respond to the revised package.

For a reporting team, the revision has a direct consequence. The March 2026 draft is superseded for planning purposes, and mapping should be rebuilt against the September 2026 versions, including the marked-up standards that show exactly what moved. APRA’s response letter summarises the issues raised during consultation and APRA’s resulting amendments. This mirrors the pattern in other current Australian consultations, from the retail CBDC work to changes in how APRA data collections support system-wide analysis, where the response paper carries the operative detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do self-managed super funds have to report under the Retirement Reporting Framework?

No. The standards apply to RSE licensees in respect of registrable superannuation entities. Self-managed super funds are regulated by the Australian Taxation Office and fall outside APRA’s RSE perimeter, and the draft standards also exclude small APRA funds and single member approved deposit funds from the definition of an RSE.

Are defined benefit funds in scope?

SRS 607.0 applies in respect of each RSE and each pooled superannuation trust within a licensee’s business operations, and because a defined benefit RSE is itself a registrable superannuation entity, defined benefit RSEs and PSTs are captured by the business-model standard. SRS 611.1 applies in respect of each RSE. A trustee running defined benefit and accumulation entities should map each entity type separately rather than assume one return covers the group.

Does the framework change our retirement income covenant obligations?

No. The covenant duty in subsection 52(8A) of the SIS Act is unchanged. The Retirement Reporting Framework is a separate data collection on retirement offerings, member behaviour and outcomes; APRA states that it does not propose collecting additional data on RSE licensees’ implementation of the Retirement Income Covenant or formulation of retirement income strategies as part of the Framework.

We already report SRS 607.0. Do we start again from zero?

The exact transition provisions for revised SRS 607.0 should be taken from the September 2026 revised draft standard; the revised package remains under consultation and is not yet in force. New retirement tables come in from the first reporting period under the revised standard, so the change is additive to an existing collection rather than a fresh build.

What is the difference between an indicator and a metric?

An indicator is reported at the RSE level, often as a yes or no or a category, such as whether a fund offers a lifetime income product. A metric is also reported at the RSE level but is segmented by member demographics and attributes, such as the proportion of members drawing at the minimum drawdown rate by age or balance band.

Will individual fund data be published?

APRA intends to engage with industry on publication design through 2027 before the first indicators and metrics are published in 2028. APRA says it will apply masking and aggregation practices, including its existing protocols for small cohorts, and will engage with industry on publication design in 2027; the final form of published output has therefore not yet been settled.

Which members does SRF 611.1 Table 1 actually cover?

Table 1 covers members aged 60 and above at the end of the reporting period, reported by combinations of demographics and accounts held. The September response confirms that APRA revised definitions and reporting instructions for deferred superannuation income streams; the exact Table 1 product classification should be taken from the September 2026 revised SRS 611.1. Under the September 2026 revision, Tables 2 and 3 are also limited to members aged 60 and over, specifically members who exited the RSE during the reporting period because of death or closure of all accounts.

Key Takeaways

  • Submissions on APRA’s revised Retirement Reporting Framework close 9 October 2026; use the response letter to find the amendments relevant to your fund.
  • The package moves three standards together: new SRS 611.1 Retirement Member Profile, amended SRS 607.0 RSE Business Model, and SRS 101.0 Definitions read across both.
  • APRA says the first collection period commenced on 1 July 2026 and the first data collection is expected in late 2027; take the exact reporting periods and due dates from the September 2026 revised draft standards.
  • SRF 607.0 continues an existing business-model collection while materially restructuring the retirement-product tables; reporting frequencies and due dates should be taken from the September 2026 revised standard.
  • SRF 611.1 Table 1 covers members aged 60 and above; detailed product-scope and unit instructions should be implemented from the September 2026 revised standard and, once finalised, the corresponding APRA taxonomy.
  • SRS 611.1 Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3 each feed Framework metrics; the exact table-to-metric mappings and metric numbering should be implemented from APRA’s September 2026 Technical Paper.
  • The reporting standards’ quality-control provisions and SPS 310 must be read separately. SPS 310 requires limited assurance over the RSE licensee’s systems, procedures and internal controls used to provide reliable APRA data, while assurance over particular reporting-standard information depends on the standards identified in SPS 310 Attachment A. The current Attachment A does not list draft SRS 607.0 or SRS 611.1, so the final assurance and submission-authorisation requirements must be checked against the final reporting standards.
  • SMSFs, small APRA funds and single member approved deposit funds are outside the collection.

Sources and References

  • APRA media release, “APRA revises proposals to implement the Government’s Retirement Reporting Framework for final consultation”, 10 September 2026: apra.gov.au
  • APRA consultation, “Implementation of Government’s Retirement Reporting Framework – APRA’s proposals” (revised draft SRS 607.0, SRS 611.1, SRS 101.0, updated Technical Paper, Reporting Practice Guide, response letter): apra.gov.au
  • APRA, Reporting Standard SRS 611.1 Retirement Member Profile (draft) and Reporting Form SRF 611.1, available on the consultation page.
  • APRA, Reporting Standard SRS 607.0 RSE Business Model (draft) and Reporting Form SRF 607.0, available on the consultation page.
  • APRA, Reporting Standard SRS 101.0 Definitions for Superannuation Data Collections (draft), available on the consultation page.
  • APRA, Technical Paper “Calculations and mapping of indicators and metrics to reporting standards”, available on the consultation page.
  • APRA Connect taxonomy artefacts (superannuation collections, including SRS 607.0): apra.gov.au
  • Retirement income covenant, subsection 52(8A) and section 52AA, Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993; APRA implementation FAQs: handbook.apra.gov.au
  • Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001, section 13 (enabling power for the reporting standards).

What to do before 9 October

The near-term artifact is a submission, but the more valuable one is a gap map. Between now and 9 October 2026, a trustee can pull the revised SRF 607.0 and SRF 611.1 field lists against its current data model, mark which retirement-phase fields it cannot yet source, and raise anything unworkable in its consultation response while the standards are still open. The period to 30 June 2027 is already the first collection period under APRA’s proposal, while the first data collection is expected in late 2027. Implementation planning therefore needs to address both system build and capture of the required 2026-27 reporting-period data.

Disclaimer: The information on RegReportingDesk.com is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, tax, or compliance advice. Always consult your compliance officer, legal counsel, or the relevant supervisory authority for guidance specific to your institution.

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