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GESB vs OneAnswer (OnePath)

Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.

By SuperGuru Group · Research checked 11 September 2026 · Historical APRA figures to 30 June 2026

GESB

Restricted public sector fund

GESB administers several Western Australian public sector schemes, so the account name is essential to a useful comparison.

Membership

GESB Super is available to current WA public sector employees and qualifying continuing members after moving into private employment. West State and Gold State are closed to new members.

OneAnswer (OnePath)

Retail super and pension range

OneAnswer has a current Frontier super and pension range alongside older closed products. Investment choice is central to Frontier, and its current insurance arrangements differ from older descriptions.

Membership

Frontier accepts applications from people receiving its PDS in Australia, including applications submitted by a financial adviser. The usual minimum initial Personal Super investment is $2,000, or $1,000 with a Regular Investment Plan. Older OneAnswer Personal Super and pension products are closed to new members.

Compare fees and investment returns

Choose the actual investment pathway for each account. For lifecycle products, select the named stage relevant to you. No stage is selected automatically.

Choose an investment option to see the figures

The costs and returns belong to the selected product, option or lifecycle stage.

Source: APRA Comprehensive Product Performance Package 2026, published 28 August 2026. Fees reflect the reporting year to 30 June 2026, are net of tax, use standard arrangements and exclude member-activity fees. Dollar figures are rounded. They are not a current quote. Check the latest PDS for changes, insurance premiums and any separately charged advice.

Returns are annualised historical results. Different return bases, risk levels and periods cannot be treated as interchangeable. MySuper net returns use a $50,000 representative balance even when you change the fee balance. A lifecycle stage return does not track a person moving between stages. Missing figures mean not reported, not zero. Past returns do not predict future returns. Read our method and APRA's definitions.

How the products differ

GESB and OneAnswer (OnePath): product features and conditions
What to compareGESBOneAnswer (OnePath)
Membership and access

GESB Super is available to current WA public sector employees and qualifying continuing members after moving into private employment. West State and Gold State are closed to new members.

Sources123

Frontier accepts applications from people receiving its PDS in Australia, including applications submitted by a financial adviser. The usual minimum initial Personal Super investment is $2,000, or $1,000 with a Regular Investment Plan. Older OneAnswer Personal Super and pension products are closed to new members.

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Accounts and products

GESB Super accumulation. West State Super, Gold State Super and retirement accounts have different structures and identifiers.

GESB Super

West State Super

Gold State Super

Retirement Income Pension

Sources123

OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super and Pension, with separate notes for closed OneAnswer Personal Super and pension accounts. ANZ Smart Choice and Grow Wrap are outside this profile's numerical scope.

OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super

OneAnswer Frontier Pension

OneAnswer Frontier transition-to-retirement pension

Closed OneAnswer Personal Super, Allocated Pension and Term Allocated Pension accounts

Sources14
Investment choices

Choose and compare options within the relevant account. A common administrator does not make the schemes interchangeable.

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Frontier requires the applicant to select investment options. The trustee will not choose one and cannot proceed with an application that lacks a selection. ANZ Smart Choice MySuper figures reported under the same historical legal fund are not OneAnswer defaults.

The range includes diversified and single-sector managed funds, OneAnswer index funds, MultiSeries portfolios combining active and passive investments, and ANZ Term Deposits. Auto-rebalancing and dollar-cost-averaging facilities can help administer a chosen mix, but they cannot be used together and do not apply to term deposits. Check the current investment guide and product notices for closures or strategy changes.

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Comparing investment performance

GESB is a state government scheme outside the APRA RSE fund register; absence from that register does not mean it is not a legitimate fund.

Sources123

Use the exact Frontier investment option, dates and return basis. The legal fund's historical reporting also includes other brands, so its overall result is not a OneAnswer portfolio return. Some options are trustee-directed and receive performance-test results; other externally directed options have no result in the package. An absent test result does not mean a pass or failure.

Only OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super pathways are matched to this profile's APRA table.

June 2026 figures retain Retirement Portfolio Service ABN 61808189263. They must not be relabelled as current ANZ Smart Choice data after a later transfer.

The OneAnswer Investment Portfolio is an investment product outside super and is excluded from this comparison.

Sources7
Insurance

This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.

The current Additional Information Guide says insurance is not available directly through Frontier Personal Super. A separate risk-only super insurance product may be payable using the Frontier account, with advice about the arrangement. An October 2025 notice removed OneCare Super references from the new-member documents. Existing members should check their actual policy and account, especially where an older OneAnswer product still holds group cover.

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Retirement income

This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.

Frontier Pension offers an account-based pension and a transition-to-retirement pension. The initial pension minimum is $20,000. Payment choices include monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual intervals. An existing Term Allocated Pension is a different product with its own payment and withdrawal restrictions; it should not be treated as an ordinary Frontier pension.

Sources24
Advice and support

This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.

The product is designed to support an investment portfolio chosen with a financial adviser. An Adviser Service Fee is negotiated separately. Ask for the services and their cost in writing, including what happens to the investment strategy if ongoing advice ends.

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Fee details to check

This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.

The December 2025 fee guide lists a $135.29 annual Member Fee for Personal Super and TTR accounts below the qualifying $50,000 balance, equivalent to $115 after the stated tax benefit. The ordinary pension Member Fee is $115. ANZ Term Deposits and ANZ Cash Advantage have special exclusions, and eligible linked Frontier accounts can request a waiver. A waived Member Fee does not remove investment costs: the selected fund's Ongoing Fee, other investment and transaction costs, any levies or expense recoveries, and advice still need to be included. Some June 2026 APRA externally directed OneAnswer rows contain zero total-cost entries at higher balances that conflict with the fee guide. Those entries should not be interpreted as a free investment account.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on GESB

Editorial assessment

Identify the scheme before doing any fee or return comparison. For someone holding West State or Gold State, the first issue is the value and tax treatment of existing rights, not the convenience of combining accounts.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • Eligible WA public sector employees and existing GESB members.

What deserves a closer look

  • A closed West State or Gold State account cannot be reopened after closure.
  • Untaxed does not mean tax-free; tax timing can affect rollover outcomes.

Sources123

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on OneAnswer (OnePath)

Editorial assessment

OneAnswer is most useful to assess with the account name and investment list already in front of you. Frontier can accommodate an advised portfolio or a simpler index holding, but there is no default allocation to make that decision for you. For an existing member, the practical questions are what the full account costs, how insurance is arranged, and whether an older product has features a transfer would surrender.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who want to choose managed investments within a super account, with a clear plan for their asset allocation.
  • Existing OneAnswer members comparing their exact legacy or Frontier terms before making a change.
  • Eligible members who want a pension offering connected to the Frontier investment range.

What deserves a closer look

  • Confirm the full product name. Frontier, older OneAnswer accounts, ANZ Smart Choice and Grow Wrap are not interchangeable.
  • A Member Fee waiver affects one charge; it does not establish a zero total cost.
  • Direct insurance is not part of the current Frontier offer. Confirm any separate insurance arrangement before moving an existing balance.
  • Current product updates can change a fund's name, strategy or availability; a saved investment list may be stale.

Sources356

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

Before choosing between GESB and OneAnswer (OnePath)

Use the membership rules to establish which accounts are available to you. Then compare the total price of the investment option and cover you need. A lower fee or higher historical return alone does not tell you which fund is suitable.

Ask both funds to confirm insurance acceptance, exclusions, waiting periods and whether cover would change when you leave your employer. Obtain advice before giving up a defined benefit or an insurance policy you may not be able to replace. ASIC Moneysmart explains the comparison checks.

Read the full GESB profile · Read the full OneAnswer (OnePath) profile · Choose another comparison