Abstract

Two of the three large public universities in South Australia have amalgamated. The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia and the Government of South Australia signed a Heads of Agreement to effectively merge the universities from January 1, 2026. A new university has formed called Adelaide University as a result of a joint venture between the two universities. A number of important superannuation issues are raised by the formation of a new university, and such an unprecedented joint venture has not occurred in Australia before. This paper examines the superannuation issues and unfunded superannuation liabilities which arise and their potential impact. The most important issue is an unfunded superannuation liability of over $290 million for the universities combined, which is currently covered by the Government of South Australia and the Australian Government. A successful merger in South Australia may lead to the consolidation of universities in other states of Australia

Keywords: unfunded superannuation liabilities, university amalgamation, defined benefit schemes, employer superannuation contributions, enterprise bargaining

How to Cite:

Christie, J. & Chou, S., (2026) “Superannuation Issues for the New Adelaide University: A Case Study”, Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal 20(3): 9, 158–165. doi: https://doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.1975