Firefighters and paramedics could get 16.4 per cent super
A Greens senator wants firefighters and paramedics to get the same base super rate as Defence Force members. It would mean more money for when they stop work. These workers often have to stop work early.
Official name: Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment (Frontline Emergency Service Workers) Bill 2025
- Employers would have to pay firefighters and paramedics 4.4 per cent more of their pay into super.
- That would make their lowest super rate 16.4 per cent, the same as the base rate for Defence Force members.
- It is a private bill from Greens Senator Nick McKim. It has not been debated or voted on.
Who it affects
- Firefighters: Your employer would have to pay at least 16.4 per cent of your pay into super, unless your scheme is already as good or better.
- Paramedics: The same higher lowest super rate would apply to you.
- Fire and ambulance services and other employers: You would pay more super for these workers or face a charge for paying too little.
- Other workers: Nothing changes. The usual 12 per cent stays.
Emergency workers retire early
Super is money saved through work for when you stop working. By law, employers must pay a set share of each worker's pay into super. This is called the super guarantee. Since 1 July 2025 it has been 12 per cent.
Greens Senator Nick McKim brought this bill to the Senate. He says firefighters and paramedics do hard physical work in dangerous places.
He says many feel they must stop work before 60, so their age does not put others at risk. Their skills do not move easily to other well-paid jobs.
His notes on the bill say this leaves them with much less saved for later life than other workers. The notes point to sums done by The Australia Institute, a research group. Those sums say super of more than 20 per cent of pay would be needed to close the gap.
What the bill changes
The bill adds 4.4 percentage points to the super guarantee for firefighters and paramedics. That takes it from 12 per cent to 16.4 per cent.
His notes say this matches the base super rate for members of the Australian Defence Force. He says they face similar stress and strain.
Say a paramedic earns $90,000 a year. At 12 per cent, the employer pays $10,800 into super. At 16.4 per cent, it would pay $14,760. That is $3,960 more each year.
The rule works through the super guarantee charge. An employer who does not pay enough super must pay this charge to the tax office, plus extra costs. The bill raises the rate used to work out how much is missing for these workers.
Who counts as frontline
A firefighter is someone employed as a firefighter, or whose main job is fighting fires. That includes putting out fires, stopping them spreading, and protecting people and property. It also includes work to stop fires starting.
A paramedic is someone employed as a paramedic, or whose main job is paramedic work. That includes taking people to hospital in an emergency. It also includes emergency care in an ambulance, or anywhere that is not a hospital or clinic.
Where it applies
His notes say the bill would apply straight away to federal workers and private employers. It would also apply in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.
The notes say it would also flow through to New South Wales and Tasmania. It would flow to paramedics in South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia too. That is because their own laws or work deals point to the federal super law.
It would have no effect for now in Victoria. Nor would it for firefighters in Western Australia and Queensland.
Firefighters in Victoria and Western Australia are in an older kind of super. It pays a set amount based on pay and years worked. South Australia's fire service scheme already pays more than 16.4 per cent.
Waiting in the Senate
The bill would start the day after it is signed into law by the Governor-General. The Governor-General is the King's stand-in in Australia. It would cover each three-month quarter starting on or after 1 July 2025.
Senator McKim brought the bill to the Senate on 5 February 2025. The Senate is the second house of Parliament, which checks bills.
The bill died when the last Parliament ended on 21 July 2025. It was put back on the Senate's list of business on 23 July 2025. It has not been debated or voted on since.
It would need to pass both the Senate and the House of Representatives to become law.
Its journey through Parliament
| 05 Feb 2025 | Senate: Introduced and read a first time |
| 05 Feb 2025 | Senate: Second reading moved |
| 21 Jul 2025 | Senate: Lapsed at end of Parliament |
| 23 Jul 2025 | Senate: Restored to Notice Paper |