Extending our Build Financial Inclusion Action Plan to 2026
30 June 2025
Great Southern Bank announced today that it would be extending its Build Financial Inclusion Action Plan to 30 June 2026, enabling the Bank to continue to deliver on its public commitments and enhance financial inclusion for its customers and communities.
The extension has been supported by Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, which works with member organisations to develop FIAPs that contain measurable actions for team members, customers, supply chains and the community.
CEO and Managing Director Paul Lewis said financial inclusion remained a core focus of the Bank’s sustainability strategy.
“Our Bank is committed to driving positive, measurable social impact for team members, customers and the communities in which we operate,” Mr Lewis said.
“Financial inclusion goes to the heart of what we stand for as a customer-owned bank and it has been part of our DNA for almost 80 years. As a key building block to enable greater economic participation by Australians, financial inclusion is pivotal to helping us deliver on the Bank’s purpose to help all Australians own their own home.
“We are proud of what we have already delivered and recognise there is more to do to continue driving positive change and momentum that promotes greater financial inclusion.”
The Build FIAP contains 20 core commitments, with 45 outputs to be delivered across:
- Leadership;
- Products and Services;
- Financial Capability;
- Understanding Financial Vulnerability; and
- Economic Security.
Six of the actions are being extended to 30 June 2026, to allow the Bank to complete work that is already in progress and will deliver improved financial inclusion outcomes for customers and team members. Refer to the table for details.
Core commitment | Stakeholder | Action | Output | Outcome | Responsible | Revised timeframe | Reason for extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Access Credit | Customers | Offer a suite of affordable and accessible products | Ensure all new debit and credit cards issued have accessibility features | Improved access to appropriate financial products and services | Head of Product: Retail Banking | June 2026 | The extension will allow accessibility features to be implemented across all credit cards by September 2025, to coincide with other changes to the Bank’s credit card offering. The addition of debit card accessibility features has dependencies on external delivery partners, but the progressive rollout will commence after credit cards. |
Savings | Customers | Offer products and services that help customers save money and/or reduce expenses | Review existing product features, and develop new ones, that encourage positive savings behaviours | Increase financial capability of individuals | Head of Digital Channels & Customer Experience Head of Product: Retail Banking | June 2026 | The extension will allow for new digital savings tools, which are in development, to be made available to customers. |
Savings | Customers | Offer products and services that help customers save money and/or reduce expenses | Offer a solution that incentivises customers to carry out home upgrades that improve the physical resilience of their homes against extreme weather events | Increase financial capability of individuals | Head of Product: Retail Banking | June 2026 | The extension will allow further exploration and implementation of suitable products or services that are appropriately tailored to the needs of customers. |
Targeting Housing | Customers | Offer solutions to home buyers who need additional support | Expand our participation in shared equity programs that support eligible home buyers to purchase a home sooner | More partnerships and collaboration to support vulnerable groups Increase in strategies to address economic inequality | Head of Product: Retail Banking Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Head of Credit Risk | June 2026 | The Bank currently supports a shared equity program offered by BuyAssist. Other shared equity programs are in development by state and federal governments, as at April 2025. However, the rules and regulations have not been finalised for the federal or QLD programs. The extension will allow the Bank to explore these opportunities when rules are finalised. |
Hardship prevention | Customers | Support our customers experiencing or at-risk of vulnerability | Enable customers to self-identify as experiencing vulnerability so we can support them | Increased pathways and tools for ongoing support for vulnerable groups Improved support for financially vulnerable customers | Head of Enablement | June 2026 | The extension will allow for further exploration of solutions – which are currently on our vulnerability roadmap - to complement other measures to enhance the ability for customers to self-identify. |
Behaviour | Customers | Improve the capability of our customers to protect their homes | Develop and share education materials for customers with a focus on improving the resilience of their homes against extreme weather events | Increase in targeted and scalable resources to build financial capabilities | Head of Brand & Marketing | June 2026 | The extension will allow for education materials to be developed to coincide with the delivery of a suitable resilience-focused product or service, as noted in a separate action also being extended. |