Restricted occupational fund
FES Super
FES Super serves eligible Western Australian fire and emergency services employees, with defined benefit and accumulation accounts.
THE OVERVIEW
About FES Super
Its defined benefit links retirement benefits to salary and membership. An accumulation account instead grows through contributions and investment returns, with costs and tax deducted. Members can hold both.
Who can join
Firefighters start in the Defined Benefit Account. Different rules apply to other permanent, temporary and casual employees of DFES and associated employers. Spouse and retained accounts are available under their own eligibility rules.
THE SUPERGURU VIEW
Our take
For a firefighter, the starting point is the value of the employment-linked benefit and cover. A return chart cannot price those entitlements. For an accumulation member, the unusual Smoothed option deserves attention: smoothing changes when returns are credited, without removing investment risk.
Who might put it on their shortlist
- Eligible DFES employees assessing their workplace scheme.
- Existing members reviewing additional savings, retirement or a retained account.
What deserves a closer look
- Joining is restricted by employment and family eligibility rules.
- Defined benefits cannot be ranked against ordinary accumulation accounts using annual investment returns.
- A smoother credited return does not make the Smoothed option a cash account or guarantee its future return.
Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.
THE NUMBERS
Fees and investment returns
Use the product, investment option and employer plan on your statement. Lifecycle members need to choose the relevant stage. APRA's investment pathways may include closed options held by existing members.
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.
A CLOSER LOOK
Inside FES Super
Accounts and products
Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Fund in Western Australia. Compare its accumulation accounts separately from defined benefits.
Defined Benefit Account
Accumulation Account
Retained Benefit Account
Spouse Account
Account Based Pension
Investment choices
Smoothed option for accumulation accounts
Accumulation members have six choices: Smoothed, Moderate, Cash, Fixed Interest, International Shares and Australian Shares. The Smoothed option can set aside some returns in stronger years and release reserves in weaker years, at the board's discretion.
Insurance
The defined benefit has employment-related death and disability provisions, with separate income protection arrangements. Accumulation insurance uses different terms. Check occupation, account type and employment status before comparing cover.
Retirement income
Members can retain eligible savings or use an account-based pension. Converting a defined benefit into accumulation can be irreversible under the scheme rules.
Comparing investment performance
Any investment comparison on this profile applies to the named accumulation option. Obtain a scheme benefit estimate before assessing a defined benefit transfer.
THE LEGAL FUND
Fund size in APRA's annual reporting
Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Fund
At 30 June 2025. These are legal-fund totals, which can include several products and more than one account per person.
APRA annual fund-level statistics, June 2025. These older totals can differ substantially after mergers. Size is not a measure of suitability or investment quality.
Sources for FES Super
Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.