Expanded partnership targets cost-of-living relief and emissions reduction

13 August 2026

Great Southern Bank and Mission Australia have announced a new, three-year partnership (2026–2029), extending their successful collaboration with an additional $3 million investment to further reduce utility bills, lower emissions, and strengthen financial wellbeing and housing security for lower-income Australians living in community housing.

The renewed agreement brings the Bank’s total investment in the partnership to $4 million since 2021 and is expected to deliver five times the social impact of the initial program.

Over three years, the expanded partnership will support a further 6,300 low-income Australians and deliver an estimated $1.1 million in energy cost savings, while continuing to reduce household emissions through targeted energy and water efficiency upgrades.

Ten community housing properties in NSW have been upgraded under the original partnership, reducing tenant utility bills by around $500 per household annually and delivering meaningful and ongoing cost-of-living relief.

The 2026–2029 partnership will help fund a further 17 site upgrades across NSW, Queensland and Victoria. It will also support:

• Energy literacy programs to help tenants better understand and manage their household energy use and further reduce their utility bills.
• A new program supporting tenants to transition out of community housing, creating education and employment pathways toward greater independence and housing stability.
• Improved housing and financial outcomes for First Nations tenants, supporting shared commitments to reconciliation and greater economic inclusion.

Paul Lewis, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Great Southern Bank, said the renewed partnership builds on the success of the past three years and will extend its impact to thousands more Australians.

“Our partnership with Mission Australia has shown that targeted investment in community housing can make a real difference – helping tenants lower their bills, feel more secure in their homes and strengthen their overall financial well-being,” Mr Lewis said.

“By committing a further $3 million and broadening the partnership, we can deepen our impact. This next phase is about more than lower bills - it is about building financial and housing inclusion, resilience, and opportunity.”

Mission Australia CEO Sharon Callister said the renewed partnership demonstrates what long-term collaboration between non-profits and the private sector can achieve.

"The partnership with Great Southern Bank has had an incredible impact on our community housing tenants in the past three years. I’m excited to see what this next stage will bring as it continues to expand beyond energy efficiency upgrades into initiatives that will benefit even more of the people Mission Australia serves,” Ms Callister said.

“Not only are our housing residents seeing lower utility bills thanks to the upgrades to our properties, but the Community Navigator at our Common Ground housing development in Sydney is helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access safe and secure housing and connect with culturally appropriate support in their local community. We’re looking forward to welcoming a second Community Navigator on the Mid North Coast, building on the success we’ve seen at Common Ground,” she said.

The partnership supports Great Southern Bank’s financial inclusion, reconciliation and climate transition commitments, by improving financial and housing outcomes reducing emissions in community housing and encouraging greater energy-conscious behaviours.

To learn more about our partnership with Mission Australia, visit Community Partnerships | Great Southern Bank