Missing superannuation in the NT totalled $55m in one year, as commonwealth moves to crack down

In a single year, Territorians missed out on $55m worth of superannuation they were legally entitled to, and $300m over five years, as the commonwealth ramps up moves to hold non-compliant employers accountable.

Territory workers missed out on $54.5m worth of superannuation in 2021–22 due to missed and incorrect employer contributions, and $300m over a five-year period. Picture: File

Territorians missed out on $300m worth of superannuation over a five-year period due to missed or incorrect employer contributions, an advocacy group says, with underpayments in the spotlight locally amid claims a popular local cafe owes workers more than $26,000.

According to the Super Members Council, which says it crunched the numbers from tax file data, more than 25,000 workers in the NT were underpaid an average of $2110 in 2021–22, collectively missing out on $54.4m legally owed to them (the national figure was $5.1bn).

Over five years, losses to Territory workers totalled about $300m.

“Unpaid super denies thousands of NT workers the ability to save for retirement and can cost the average worker more than $30,000 from their final retirement nest egg,” the council said in a statement.

“The Australian Government has promised reforms that would mean super must be paid in sync with a worker’s wages – instead of at least once a quarter.

“This crucial reform, to be introduced from July 2026... will modernise the super payment system and dramatically help to stem unpaid super.

“[Our] analysis shows the average worker could be $7700 better off in retirement with payday super because the investment returns accrue and compound sooner.”

Andrew Gunn’s business, De Lago Resort at Lake Bennett, owed workers more than $150,000 in missed superannuation payments, according to a liquidator report filed with ASIC. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

Small businesses would be benefited by the “smoother cashflow management” created by payments in sync with payday.

Earlier this year, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the reforms were on track to be introduced from July 1, 2026.

They would include a strengthened superannuation guarantee charge (wherein non-compliant employers are currently required to repay missing super plus interest and a penalty fee), with the charge to be imposed seven days after a missed or incorrect payment under the reforms.

Employees would also receive additional compensation for delay in receiving their entitlements, over and above the existing system.

The Super Members Council also wants unpaid superannuation to be included in the Fair Entitlements Guarantee, a commonwealth scheme that compensates employees for unpaid wages, accrued annual leave, long-service leave, and payment in lieu of notice in circumstances where employers go bust.

Adventure Land Palmerston director Amanda Heath, whose company owed workers leave entitlements and superannuation worth $20,592.48, according to a liquidator report filed with ASIC. Picture: Facebook

However, there appears to be little appetite federally for such an expansion of the scheme, due to the expected cost to the budget bottom line.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said in a statement it vigorously pursued businesses that failed to cough up despite being found liable to pay a superannuation guarantee charge, with sanctions including director penalty notices, garnishees, prosecution, and winding up, but conceded its options became limited once a business entered liquidation.

“The ATO aims to collect unpaid debt owed by an employer as soon as possible but some employers may not be able to pay in full,” the agency said.

Porkin’ directors co-owners Manfred Mletsin and Ryan Hamilton have committed to restoring their employees’ superannuation balances. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“There are situations where it can be harder for the ATO to recover unpaid superannuation including if an employer is bankrupt, in liquidation, under administration or deregistered.”

Territory businesses liquidated this year that were found by company liquidators not to have paid their employee superannuation correctly include indoor play centre Adventure Land Palmerston, labour hire firm NH Concrete Construction, and De Lago Resort at Lake Bennett.

Most recently, this masthead revealed Porkin’ cafe and deli at Nightcliff owed four workers more than $26,000 in superannuation.

The directors declined to reveal the total amount owed across all staff (about 12–15 are understood to have been employed at any given time), but committed to making their workers’ balances whole.

Employees who believe they are owed superannuation should lodge a claim with the ATO as their first port of call.

Originally published as Missing superannuation in the NT totalled $55m in one year, as commonwealth moves to crack down