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Program

Join us at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for two and a half days of in-depth technical sessions,  led by key industry experts. 

Earn up to 45 CPD hours – all included in your registration!

National Conference 2027 Full Program

DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3

PROGRAM STREAMS

LEGS AND REGS

Meticulously crafted sessions to provide insight into superannuation compliance, income tax and legal issues for both newcomers and experienced professionals.

STRATEGY

Your one-stop shop for issues relating to strategic superannuation planning including contribution strategies, retirement planning, and estate planning.

ADVICE, PRACTICE & REGULATORY

Targeted sessions aimed at promoting critical thinking, encouraging professionals to examine and enhance their current practices.

WORKSHOPS

Interactive sessions, offering a practical learning environment driven by case studies. Spots are limited to foster engagement and collaboration.

 

Please note the National Conference 2027 program is subject to change before the conference in February.

Please check the latest schedule times closer to the conference dates.

Virtual Program

Not able to join us in Melbourne? 

View the sessions included in the curated, 2 day virtual program.

View
Virtual Program
here

Day 1 - Wednesday 17 February

STREAMS
LEGS AND REGS
STRATEGY
ADVICE, PRACTICE & REGULATORY
WORKSHOPS
8:00am
EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
8:00am - 10:00am
thought leadership breakfast presented by class
Session details

Thought Leadership Breakfast, presented by Class

8:00am – 10:00am

Further details coming soon. 

Specialist-only session
Passing Wealth Without Passing Problems

Katie Timms, Partner, RSM Australia

8:30am - 10:00am
Session details

Passing Wealth Without Passing Problems

Specialist-Only Session
8:30am – 10:00am

Katie Timms, Partner, RSM Australia

Passing wealth to the next generation is rarely just a question of who gets what. Who controls what, when should that control change, and what happens when life doesn’t follow the plan?

In this Specialist-only session, Katie Timms moves beyond the traditional tax and estate planning discussion to explore the practical realities of transferring wealth, control and decision-making between generations. Through evolving case studies, delegates will be challenged to ask “What would you do here?” before a new fact, relationship or event changes the equation.

From family dynamics and competing interests to control of structures and unexpected life events, the session will explore where seemingly sound strategies can unravel and how to anticipate the pressure points before they become problems.

This isn’t about finding the textbook answer. It’s about whether the strategy still works when the facts change

10:00am - 10:30am
Morning tea
10:30am - 10:50am
Welcome and chair address

Scott Hay-Bartlem, Chair, SMSF Association

10:50am - 11:50am
The Forces Shaping Our Future

Peter Burgess, CEO, SMSF Association

Session details

The Forces Shaping Our Future

Plenary 1
10:50am – 11:50am

Peter Burgess, CEO, SMSF Association

Policy, regulation and political priorities continue to shape the environment in which SMSF professionals operate. From major consumer protection reforms to emerging regulatory expectations and broader retirement policy debates, the decisions being made today will influence the advice, services and outcomes delivered to clients for years to come.
 
In this fast-paced and high-energy address, Peter examines the forces driving change across the superannuation landscape. Drawing on the Association’s advocacy, engagement with government and regulators, and insights from across the profession, Peter will unpack the policy developments, reform priorities and emerging issues likely to shape the future of SMSFs. Delegates will leave with a clearer understanding of the opportunities, risks and challenges ahead, and the insights needed to help their clients and practices thrive in an evolving environment.
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Div 296: It’s All in the Detail

John Perri, Technical Manager, SMSF Association

Session details

Div 296: It’s All in the Detail

Concurrent 1A
12:00pm – 1:00pm

John Perri, Technical Manager, SMSF Association

Division 296 may now be part of the superannuation landscape, but the real complexity lies beneath the headline rules.

In this session, John Perri will unpack the architecture of Div 296 and the key concepts SMSF professionals need to understand to navigate the regime with confidence. From the critical role of total superannuation balance to the mechanics that determine when and how the new tax applies, John will explore the interactions, nuances and the issues that can materially affect outcomes.

With Div 296 running through many of the technical and strategic conversations across National Conference, this session sets the framework for what follows. Whether you think you know Div 296 or are still getting across the detail, this is a session that has something for everyone.

The Next Chapter for LRBAs

David Busoli, Principal, SMSF Alliance

Session details

The Next Chapter for LRBAs

Concurrent 1B
12:00pm – 1:00pm

David Busoli, Principal, SMSF Alliance

For nearly two decades, limited recourse borrowing arrangements have been a cornerstone of SMSF strategy. But the reforms which took effect from 10 August 2026 have fundamentally changed the borrowing landscape and raised important questions about what comes next.

In this practical and forward-looking session, David Busoli explores the future of SMSF borrowing and the implications of the new rules for trustees, advisers and administrators. From the ongoing role of grandfathered arrangements and the availability of finance for both Business Real Property and non-Business Real Property assets, to refinancing considerations and ownership structures, delegates will examine the practical realities of borrowing in a post-reform environment.

The session will also explore alternative acquisition and structuring strategies where traditional LRBAs are no longer available, including the potential role of related structures.

As the borrowing landscape evolves, delegates will be challenged to rethink the role of borrowing in the modern SMSF strategy and consider whether the traditional LRBA playbook still applies.

Regulator Insights - ATO & ASIC

Ben Kelly, Deputy Commissioner, Superannuation and Employer Obligations , Australian Taxation Office

Leah Sciacca, Senior Executive Leader, ASIC

Session details

Regulator Insights - ATO & ASIC

Concurrent 1C
12:00pm – 1:00pm

This Q&A session with key representatives from the ATO and ASIC offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the regulators at the heart of the SMSF sector. Facilitated by the SMSF Association team, the discussion will explore the latest regulatory updates, compliance priorities, and emerging challenges shaping the industry in 2027.

Attendees will gain practical insights into how these developments may affect their day-to-day practice and what the regulators expect in the year ahead, helping you understand the regulatory developments that could be a catalyst for change across the SMSF sector.

1:00pm - 1:50pm
Lunch
1:50pm - 2:50pm
SMSFs: The Rise of Private Credit

Shelley Banton, Director, Super Clarity

Session details

SMSFs: The Rise of Private Credit

Concurrent 2A
1:50pm – 2:50pm

Shelley Banton, Director, Super Clarity

Private credit continues to attract growing interest from SMSF trustees seeking attractive returns, diversification and alternatives to traditional fixed income investments. But as structures become more complex, so too do the technical, compliance and governance risks.

In this practical session, Shelley examines how private credit and alternative lending arrangements operate within SMSFs and the risks advisers, trustees and auditors may be overlooking. From syndicated loans and pooled lending arrangements to trust structures, mortgage investments and hybrid products, delegates will explore the challenges of identifying the true underlying exposure, assessing recoverability and understanding the compliance obligations that sit beneath the surface.

Through practical examples and emerging industry trends, Shelley will highlight where issues can arise, what questions professionals should be asking and how to identify risks before they become problems.

More Than Just a Contribution

Jemma Sanderson, Director, Cooper Partners Financial Services Pty Ltd 

Session details

More Than Just a Contribution

Concurrent 2B
1:50pm – 2:50pm

Jemma Sanderson, Director, Cooper Partners Financial Services Pty Ltd 

In-specie contributions remain a popular way to move assets into SMSFs, but when value moves, so do the risks. Valuation differences, value shifting, CGT consequences, contribution cap issues and NALI considerations can combine to create significant and sometimes unintended outcomes for trustees and their advisers.

In this practical session, Jemma Sanderson explores the real-world issues emerging from in-specie contribution strategies and related-party asset transfers. Drawing on industry experience and current ATO focus areas, she examines where transactions commonly go wrong, how value can unintentionally shift between parties and entities, and why seemingly minor implementation issues can have far-reaching tax and compliance consequences.

The session will also explore the professional responsibilities that arise when establishing, reviewing or inheriting these arrangements, including valuation expectations, NALI considerations and emerging TPB requirements. Delegates will leave with a clearer understanding of the warning signs, technical risks and practical questions that should be asked before value moves from one structure to another.

Facing the ATO: First-Hand Lessons

Bruce Collins, Principal Solicitor, Tax Controversy Partners

Session details

Facing the ATO: First-Hand Lessons

Concurrent 2C
1:50pm – 2:50pm

Bruce Collins, Principal Solicitor, Tax Controversy Partners

When an SMSF trustee finds themselves on the wrong side of the ATO, what happens next often matters just as much, if not more, than what went wrong.

Bruce Collins has seen how the ATO operates from the inside and now represents clients in tax and super matters. In this candid session, he shares first-hand what works, and what doesn’t, when trustees run into trouble. Using real-world examples, he will cover illegal early access, trustee disqualification, whether voluntary disclosures help, the impact of false or misleading statements, and how to deal with non-compliance, including clients inherited with long-overdue returns and unresolved issues.

Bruce will also look ahead at how the ATO is likely to approach and administer reforms such as the CGT changes and the broader tax reforms. Delegates will leave with practical strategies for helping their clients and a clearer sense of how the ATO is likely to respond.

Inside Div 296 Earnings

Lyn Formica, Head of Education & Content, Heffron

 
Session details

Inside Div 296 Earnings

Workshop 2D
1.50pm – 4.30pm

Lyn Formica, Head of Education & Content, Heffron Consulting Pty Ltd

As the profession moves from understanding Division 296 to implementing it, one thing has become clear: the calculation of Div 296 earnings is far more complex than it first appears.

In this workshop, Lyn takes a deep dive into the mechanics of calculating and attributing Div 296 earnings. Through worked examples and practical case studies, delegates will explore how earnings are determined, how attribution works in practice and why outcomes may differ significantly between SMSFs and large APRA funds.

Along the way, the workshop will unpack the treatment of ECPI, segregated assets, additions and deductions, cost base adjustments and a range of technical anomalies that SMSF professionals are likely to encounter. Delegates will leave with a practical understanding of not only how the calculations work, but where the key risks, opportunities and implementation challenges lie.

Property: More Than Bricks and Mortar

Anthony Cullen, Senior SMSF Educator, Accurium

Mark Ellem, Head of SMSF Education, Accurium

Session details

Property: More Than Bricks and Mortar

Workshop 2E
1.50pm – 4.30pm

Anthony Cullen, Senior SMSF Educator, Accurium

Mark Ellem, Head of SMSF Education, Accurium

Property remains a significant component of many SMSF investment strategies, but the way funds access and hold property continues to evolve. Whether through direct ownership, borrowing arrangements, interposed structures or indirect investment vehicles, property-related decisions increasingly require careful consideration of both regulatory and federal income tax consequences.

In this advanced workshop, Mark and Anthony will examine the technical issues affecting SMSFs with property exposure. Through practical case studies delegates will explore how structure, strategy, compliance and taxation outcomes intersect, and how seemingly simple property decisions can create unintended risks when viewed through a single lens.

2:50pm - 3:30pm
AFTERNOON TEA
3:30pm - 4:30pm
The Audit-Ready SMSF Auditor

Belinda Aisbett, Director, Super Sphere

Session details

The Audit-Ready SMSF Auditor

Concurrent 3A
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Belinda Aisbett, Director, Super Sphere

Regulatory reviews rarely fail because of a single mistake. More often, they expose weaknesses in systems, processes, documentation and quality management that have developed over time.

In this practical session, Belinda Aisbett explores the steps SMSF auditors can take now to strengthen their practices before they come under regulatory scrutiny. Drawing on lessons from peer reviews as well as recent ATO and ASIC activity, delegates will examine the common deficiencies identified in audit reviews, the importance of robust quality management systems, and the role of peer reviews and continuous improvement in maintaining professional standards.

From implementing and embedding ASQM requirements to strengthening file quality and audit processes, this session focuses on building practices that are prepared for scrutiny, giving auditors confidence in their approach while supporting high-quality audit outcomes.

Aged Care Advice: Has the Dust Settled?

Louise Biti, Director, Aged Care Steps

Session details

Aged Care Advice: Has the Dust Settled?

Concurrent 3B
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Louise Biti, Director, Aged Care Steps

Twelve months on from the introduction of the new Aged Care Act, what’s clear, what’s still messy and what really matters? Or are we only just beginning to uncover the complexities, unintended consequences and advice opportunities emerging from effective strategies under the new rules?
 
For SMSF clients, aged care decisions can be particularly complex, with strategy more important than technical rules. Significant wealth, superannuation pensions, property structures and competing estate planning objectives create challenges that extend well beyond simply calculating aged care fees.
 
Louise Biti will cut through the noise and use real case studies to explore the practical advice strategies that make a difference to client outcomes and where advisers can genuinely add value. And importantly, she will discuss how the commercial opportunity can justify the complexity and make aged care advice worth the effort?
 
The dust may be settling, but strategic advice can have lasting consequences for clients and their families.
Right To Spend? A Question of Best Interests

Colin Jowell, Founder, BillWill

Session details

Right To Spend? A Question of Best Interests

Concurrent 3C
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Colin Jowell, Founder, BillWill

Today’s SMSF members are retiring into a situation no generation has faced before. They hold more wealth than their parents did, they control it themselves, and they will need it to last longer. At the same time, their children face a harder road than they did. And they know it.
 
Decades of saving have created substantial retirement wealth. Yet accumulating wealth and feeling entitled to spend it are two very different things.
 
In this thought-provoking session, Colin Jowell explores the behavioural science behind how members make decisions about spending, saving and preserving wealth throughout retirement. At its heart is a three-way tension unique to this cohort: meeting today’s cost of living, protecting against longevity risk, and preserving wealth for the next generation.
 
Through a best-interests lens, Colin will explore the behaviours, biases and ethical considerations that shape these decisions. Using the ONS4, the standard measure of personal wellbeing in behavioural science and public policy, he reframes the tension as a question of experience, satisfaction and purpose, giving professionals a defensible definition of a client’s best interests that goes beyond the balance sheet, and a clearer sense of their responsibility when a client’s reluctance to spend is working against their own wellbeing.
 
Ultimately, the session asks a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to use retirement wealth to live your best life?
4:50pm - 5:45pm
SMSF Mastermind 2027

Craig Day, Head of Technical Services, Colonial First State

Session details

SMSF Mastermind 2027

Plenary 2
4:50pm – 5:45pm

Craig Day, Head of Technical Services, Colonial First State

Think you’ve got what it takes to be crowned National Conference’s technical guru?

Hosted by quizmaster Craig Day, this fast-paced and highly interactive edition of SMSF Mastermind will put delegates’ SMSF knowledge to the test. Drawing on current technical, regulatory, taxation and strategic issues affecting SMSFs, participants will tackle a series of challenging questions that will put, even the most seasoned professionals, to the test.

Expect plenty of audience participation, friendly rivalry and a few technical curveballs along the way. Whether you’re chasing bragging rights, testing your expertise or simply enjoying the spectacle, this crowd favourite promises to be one of the most entertaining sessions of the conference.

5:50pm
Welcome Reception
Back to top

Day 2 - Thursday 18 February

7:00am - 8:00.am
Wellness session | All Delegates Welcome!
8:00am
EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
8:45am - 9:45am
Rediscovering the SMSF Advantage

Meg Heffron, Managing Director, Heffron Consulting Pty Ltd

Session details

Rediscovering the SMSF Advantage

Plenary 3
8:45am – 9:45am

Meg Heffron, Managing Director, Heffron Consulting Pty Ltd

For many years, SMSFs were the natural choice for clients seeking greater flexibility and control. Yet as platforms, administration services and investment options have evolved, SMSFs have increasingly become the exception rather than an option that is actively considered.
But have we lost sight of what makes SMSFs unique?

In this thought-provoking session, Meg challenges professionals to reconsider the role of SMSFs in today’s advice landscape. Meg will explore the broader strategic, retirement planning, estate planning and intergenerational wealth transfer benefits that SMSFs can provide, even where investment outcomes could be replicated elsewhere.

This is not a session about whether SMSFs are right for every client. Rather, it is a challenge to ensure they remain part of the conversation. After all, more than 52,000 new SMSFs were established in 2025/26 so presumably, those making the decision to establish them saw something worth having.

9:45am - 10:25am
Morning tea
10:25am - 11:25am
Running an SMSF in a Digital World

Aaron Dunn, CEO, Smarter SMSF

Session details

Running an SMSF in a Digital World

Concurrent 4A
10:25am – 11:25am

Aaron Dunn, CEO, Smarter SMSF

Today, almost everything about running an SMSF happens online. Funds are established digitally, documents are signed electronically, meetings are held virtually, records are stored in the cloud and trustees expect transactions and decisions to happen in real time. Technology has made SMSFs more efficient than ever, but can you prove it was all done properly? It has also created new legal, governance and compliance challenges.

In this practical session, Aaron Dunn explores what it means to establish, run and wind up an SMSF when the entire process is online. From electronic execution and digital record keeping to Director IDs, online identity verification, AI and much more, delegates will examine the practical issues that arise at each stage. When is an electronic signature valid, and when does witnessing make it risky? What evidence should be on file, and what will an auditor expect to see? Where does AI help, and where does it create new trustee, privacy and advice risk?

As more of the SMSF lifecycle moves online, understanding the rules, evidence requirements and governance expectations behind these digital processes has never been more important. Delegates will leave with a practical checklist of what to keep at each stage, so they can confidently support clients in an SMSF world that now runs online.

When ECPI Meets Div 296

Melanie Dunn, Principal, Head of Actuarial Services, Accurium

Session details

When ECPI Meets Div 296

Concurrent 4B
10:25am – 11:25am

Melanie Dunn, Principal, Head of Actuarial Services, Accurium

For years, SMSF professionals have implemented strategies to maximise exempt current pension income (ECPI). Division 296 brings a new consideration through a new actuarial certificate requirement. For funds with members subject to Division 296, maximising ECPI now needs to be considered alongside the desire to minimise earnings attributed to relevant Division 296 members, and understanding how the two interact will become an important part of advising these funds.

In this strategic session, Melanie Dunn will explore the trade-offs that emerge where ECPI and Division 296 intersect. Using case studies, she will show how ECPI decisions can affect Division 296 attribution and how to weigh one outcome against the other. The session will also cover the actuarial certificate requirements for Division 296, strategies to minimise attribution of earnings for relevant members, and the added complications for funds paying defined benefit pensions.

By attending this session, you will leave with an understanding of the questions to ask, the trade-offs to weigh, and the considerations to raise with SMSF trustees who have Division 296 members.

Session to be announced

Further details coming soon.

Session details

Session to be announced

Concurrent 4C
10:25am – 11:25am

Further details coming soon. 

The Trust Ripple Effect

Daniel Butler, Lawyer, DBA Lawyers

Fraser Stead, Lawyer, DBA Lawyers

Session details

The Trust Ripple Effect

Workshop 4D
10:25am – 12:35pm

Dan Butler, Lawyer, DBA Lawyers

Fraser Stead, Lawyer, DBA Lawyers

The latest trust taxation changes cannot be viewed in isolation from superannuation. From longstanding SMSF investments in managed investment schemes and unit trust structures to carefully designed estate and succession plans, reforms affecting trusts have the potential to create significant consequences for SMSFs and their members.

In this advanced workshop, delegates will examine key trust developments through an SMSF lens. Using practical case studies and technical analysis, the workshop will explore how the new minimum tax trust regime can influence superannuation outcomes, succession planning and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies. We also explore exceptions and elections that may side step the minimum tax trust regime.

The challenge for SMSF professionals is no longer simply understanding the trust changes themselves. It is recognising where those changes create new risks, opportunities and strategies for SMSFs. Understanding the trust reforms is important and their impact on SMSFs and other structures is now essential.

The Hard Calls: Ethics in Practice

Liz Westover, Principal, Westover Advisory

Tony Negline, Superannuation and Financial Services Leader, Chartered Accountants ANZ

Session details

The Hard Calls: Ethics in Practice

Workshop 4E
10:25am – 12:35pm

Liz Westover, Principal, Westover Advisory

Tony Negline, Superannuation and Financial Services Leader, Chartered Accountants ANZ

Ethics is rarely tested by straightforward decisions. It is tested when SMSF professionals face vulnerable clients, family and other influences, historical compliance issues, conflicted advice, aggressive planning strategies and pressure to proceed despite concerns.

In this highly interactive workshop, Tony Negline and Liz Westover explore the increasingly difficult judgement calls facing SMSF professionals. Through practical scenarios and facilitated discussion, delegates will work through situations involving client vulnerability, licensing and registration boundaries, professional competence, workplace conduct, artificial intelligence and the use of powers of attorney.

Rather than focusing on just what the rules say, this workshop examines what professionals should do when there is no obvious right answer. Delegates will explore the technical, legal, ethical and practical considerations that influence professional decision-making and develop greater confidence in navigating situations where professional judgement matters as much as technical knowledge.

11:35am - 12:35pm
Auditing Related Parties: Beyond the Basics

Naomi Kewley, Managing Director, Peak Super Audits

Session details

Auditing Related Parties: Beyond the Basics

Concurrent 5A
11:35am – 12:35pm

Naomi Kewley, Managing Director, Peak Super Audits

Related-party dealings can look straightforward, until you follow the transaction through.

NALI, related-party borrowings, contributions, value shifting and valuations can all come into play, sometimes within the same arrangement. So, what will the auditor challenge when these transactions land on their desk, and what should you be thinking about before they get there?

In this session, Naomi brings an auditor’s lens to related-party dealings, exploring the warning signs, pressure points and intersections that can turn an otherwise familiar strategy into a compliance problem. She’ll examine where closer scrutiny may be warranted, how valuations and transaction terms can change the picture, and the compliance issues all SMSF professionals need to be alert to when parties get a little too close.

The Great CGT Shake-Up

Craig Day, Head of Technical Services, Colonial First State

Session details

The Great CGT Shake-Up

Concurrent 5B
11:35am – 12:35pm

Craig Day, Head of Technical Services, Colonial First State

Australia’s capital gains tax (CGT) landscape is changing with significant implications and opportunities for SMSF professionals. From the introduction of cost base indexation to the 30% minimum tax rate on capital gains, these changes may require a major rethink of clients’ investment, retirement, and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies.
 
In this session, Craig will examine the practical realities of the new CGT regime, to help you understand not only how the rules work, but how they may change client behaviour, reshape planning opportunities and influence advice going forward.
 
Topics discussed will include:
  • Back to the future – how the new cost base indexation rules will work
  • Grandfathering and how the transition will apply to existing investments
  • The 30% minimum tax and its impact on common retirement strategies
  • Key tips, traps, and uncertainties to watch out for
The Changing Face of Professional Practice

Keddie Waller, Head of Professional Standards, SMSF Association

Session details

The Changing Face of Professional Practice

Concurrent 5C
11:35am – 12:35pm

Keddie Waller, Head of Professional Standards, SMSF Association

The regulatory environment for SMSF professionals continues to evolve, bringing new obligations, increased scrutiny and changing expectations for those working in public practice.

In this practical and forward-looking session, Keddie Waller will unpack the developments that matter most to SMSF professionals, from TPB obligations and breach reporting to AML/CTF reforms, AUSTRAC requirements and broader professional standards. She will explore what is changing, where the pressure points are emerging and what practitioners should be thinking about now.

With the compliance landscape becoming increasingly interconnected, this session will help delegates cut through the noise, understand the implications for their practice and stay ahead of the professional obligations shaping the year ahead.

12:35pm - 1:25pm
Lunch
1:25pm - 2:25pm
BRP: New World, Old Rules

Tim Miller, SMSF Technical & Education Manager, Smarter SMSF

Session details

BRP: New World, Old Rules

Concurrent 6A
1:25pm – 2:25pm

Tim Miller, SMSF Technical & Education Manager, Smarter SMSF

Business real property (BRP) has long been one of the defining strategic opportunities available to SMSFs but as commercial arrangements evolve, questions are emerging about whether the existing rules and ATO guidance remain fit for purpose.

In this practical session, Tim Miller revisits BRP through a contemporary lens, examining the renewed interest in BRP and the broad range of arrangements practitioners are encountering. From changing property use and commercial arrangements to primary production, Tim will explore where the boundaries are being tested and uncertainty remains.

Drawing on practical examples and industry experience, delegates will consider what qualifies as BRP, where the technical and compliance risks lie, and whether the traditional BRP playbook still works in today’s commercial environment.

SMSFs: Restructure or Stay Put?

Lee-Ann Hayes, Head of Education, TaxBanter

Session details

SMSFs: Restructure or Stay Put?

Concurrent 6B
1:25pm – 2:25pm

Lee-Ann Hayes, Head of Education, TaxBanter

The 2026 tax reforms have changed where wealth can be accumulated most effectively and, for many, superannuation has come out ahead. The challenge is determining whether existing structures should be left alone, restructured, or simply bypassed when accumulating future wealth.

In this practical session, Lee-Ann explores the difficult decisions facing advisers and family groups as they reassess how wealth is held across SMSFs, trusts, companies and personal ownership structures. Through case studies and technical analysis, delegates will consider when restructuring makes sense, when it doesn’t, and how tax concessions, grandfathering provisions and transaction costs influence the decision.

The biggest question may not be whether wealth should move. It may be whether the next dollar should be accumulated somewhere different.

Productivity and Trust in AI-Powered SMSF Practices

Dr Evan Morris, Head of Innovation Lab, Class

Session details

Productivity and Trust in AI-Powered SMSF Practices

Concurrent 6C
1:25pm – 2:25pm

Dr Evan Morris, Head of Innovation Lab, Class

AI is moving from experimentation into everyday practice, creating opportunities for SMSF professionals to streamline workflows, create capacity and improve client service.

This session explores practical applications across administration, knowledge retrieval, compliance and client service, and examines how connected data and automation can support better outcomes. It will also address evolving privacy and transparency expectations, including the governance and professional oversight needed to use AI responsibly.

Drawing on real-world examples and broader productivity research, Dr Evan Morrison will identify where AI is delivering value, why isolated tools do not always translate into productivity gains, and how firms can embed AI safely while maintaining trusted information, human judgement and client confidence.

The Vulnerable Client: Whose Decision Is It?

Anna Hacker, Client Director, Pitcher Partners

Dr Karen Bird, Lawyer & Clinical Neuropsychologist, Neurolegal

Session details

The Vulnerable Client: Whose Decision Is It?

Workshop 6D
1:25pm – 3:35pm

Anna Hacker, Client Director, Pitcher Partners

Karen Bird, Lawyer and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Neurolegal

As vulnerability frameworks continue to evolve across financial services, SMSF professionals are increasingly being called on to identify diminished capacity, coercion, undue influence and financial abuse. Yet working out when a trustee is making an independent decision, and when someone else is shaping the outcome, is rarely straightforward.

In this practical workshop, Anna Hacker and Dr Karen Bird bring together legal expertise and a neuropsychological lens to work through real-world scenarios, from blended families and scam victims to concerns arising within your own practice. Delegates will explore how to recognise the warning signs, who the client really is, where professional responsibilities begin and end, and how to respond while balancing client autonomy with client protection.

Delegates will leave with practical tools to identify vulnerable situations early and the confidence to act.

One File, Two Sides: Auditor & Accountant

Shirley Schaefer, Partner, Business Services, Superannuation, BDO

Tenille Ireland, Partner, BDO

Session details

One File, Two Sides: Auditor & Accountant

Workshop 6E
1:25pm – 3:35pm

Shirley Schaefer, Partner, Business Services, Superannuation, BDO

Tenille Ireland, Partner, BDO

An SMSF issue can look very different depending on which side of the desk you’re sitting on. What an accountant views as a practical problem to solve may be seen by an auditor as a compliance risk, evidentiary gap or reporting obligation.

In this highly interactive workshop, Shirley and Tenille bring together two distinct professional perspectives to work through a range of real-world SMSF scenarios. Through practical case studies, delegates will explore how issues are identified, challenged and worked through, from initial concern through to potential rectification and final resolution.

The workshop will examine some of the profession’s most common and complex SMSF issues, highlighting where viewpoints align, where they differ, and the practical realities of achieving outcomes that are technically sound, commercially sensible and workable in practice. Delegates will also gain insights into auditor expectations, evidentiary requirements and how early engagement can prevent small issues from becoming year-end problems.

What does the accountant see? What does the auditor see? How do we get to a solution everyone can live with?

2:35pm - 3:35pm
Getting ECPI Right

Leigh Mansell, Director SMSF Technical & Education Services, Heffron Consulting Pty Ltd

Session details

Getting ECPI Right

Concurrent 7A
2:35pm – 3:35pm

Leigh Mansell, Director SMSF Technical & Education Services, Heffron Consulting Pty Ltd

Exempt Current Pension Income (ECPI) remains one of the most valuable tax concessions available to SMSFs, yet it continues to be an area where advisers, administrators and trustees make costly mistakes.

In this practical session, you’ll revisit the fundamentals of ECPI and explore the technical requirements that underpin its correct application. From segregated and proportionate methods to Disregarded Small Fund Asset (DSFA) rules, actuarial certificate requirements and weighted average calculations, the session will focus on where common misconceptions continue to arise and how to avoid them.

With increasing complexity, evolving pension structures and a growing focus on compliance, understanding when the rules apply is just as important as understanding how they apply.

When Div 296 Meets Death

Bryce Figot, Special Counsel, DBA Lawyers

Session details

When Div 296 Meets Death

Concurrent 7B
2:35pm – 3:35pm

Bryce Figot, Special Counsel, DBA Lawyers

There are a handful of simple but highly effective strategies that can be implemented right now for wealthy SMSF clients regarding Division 296 tax, particularly upon death. Some of those strategies are variants what you have probably already been doing for years. However, others are significant departures.

Using worked examples and real scenarios, Bryce will examine the strategies advisers are considering today, where long-standing approaches may no longer deliver the intended outcome, and how the interaction between death, tax and superannuation is creating new planning opportunities.

When SMSFs Go Wholesale

Craig Stone, General Manager – Education & Technical Services, SuperConcepts

Session details

When SMSFs Go Wholesale

Concurrent 7C
2:35pm – 3:35pm

Craig Stone, General Manager – Education & Technical Services, SuperConcepts

As more SMSF trustees gain access to wholesale investment opportunities, advisers are increasingly navigating a world of private markets, alternative assets and sophisticated investment structures. But qualifying as a wholesale investor is only the beginning.

In this practical session, Craig Stone explores what sits beyond the wholesale investor certificate. From eligibility requirements and common investment structures to private market opportunities and due diligence expectations, delegates will examine the additional considerations that arise when SMSFs venture beyond the retail market.

Drawing on practical lessons from the field, Craig will highlight the governance, liquidity, valuation, and investment risks that can emerge, and the questions advisers and trustees should be asking before committing to a wholesale investment.

3:35pm - 4:15pm
Afternoon TEA
4:20pm - 5:15pm
Plenary 4

Further details coming soon. 

Session details

Plenary 4

Plenary 4
4:20pm – 5:25pm

Further details coming soon. 

5:30pm
Networking Function Partnered by GLOBAL X ETFs
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Day 3 - Friday 19 February

7:00am - 8:00am
Wellness session | All Delegates Welcome!
8:00am
EXHIBITION HALL OPEN
8:45am - 9:45am
Who's at the Helm? Tips and Traps 

Clinton Jackson, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers

Session details

Who's at the Helm? Tips and Traps 

Concurrent 8A
8:45am – 9:45am

Clinton Jackson, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers

An SMSF can be technically compliant in every other respect and still fail one of its most fundamental requirements: satisfying the trustee and director rules in section 17A.

In this practical session, delegates will explore the growing complexity surrounding trustee appointments and removals, corporate trustee governance, enduring powers of attorney, alternate directors, succession of control following incapacity or death and much more.

Drawing on recent legal developments, compliance experiences and common practitioner mistakes, the session will examine who can act, who should act and what steps are required to ensure the fund remains compliant when circumstances change.

Because when control changes unexpectedly, it is often too late to discover the paperwork wasn’t in order.

The Retirement Income Puzzle

Justine Marquet, Head of Technical Services,
HUB24

Session details

The Retirement Income Puzzle

Concurrent 8B
8:45am – 9:45am

Justine Marquet, Head of Technical Services, HUB24

Building a sustainable retirement income is rarely about finding a single solution. The challenge is working out how the different pieces fit together to meet a client’s income needs, manage risk and provide flexibility throughout retirement.

This session explores that puzzle, considering sequencing and longevity risk, drawdown strategies and the range of solutions available. Justine will examine how different income sources can complement each other, and the role an SMSF can play as part of the overall strategy.

Drawing on developments across the industry, the session will provide SMSF professionals with fresh perspectives to inform client conversations as they move from accumulating wealth to making it last.

Digital Assets Beyond 2030: What's Next?

Paul Derham, Managing Partner, Holley Nethercote Lawyers, Digital Economy Council of Australia

Session details

Digital Assets Beyond 2030: What's Next?

Concurrent 8C
8:45am – 9:45am

Paul Derham, Managing Partner, Holley Nethercote Lawyers, Digital Economy Council of Australia
 

Digital assets are already part of SMSF portfolios, but the bigger change is still ahead. Regulation, tokenisation and new technology are reshaping how assets are issued, held and traded, and the shift will reach well beyond crypto.

In this forward-looking session, Paul Derham, Chair of the Digital Economy Council of Australia (DECA) and Managing Partner of Holley Nethercote Lawyers, looks at where the digital economy is heading beyond 2030. He will explore how the regulatory landscape is developing, what tokenisation could mean for the assets SMSFs hold, and what trustees and SMSF professionals should be thinking about as these changes arrive.

Drawing on his decades of experience at the intersection of the digital assets and traditional financial services regulation, Paul will cover the opportunities, the risks and the questions to ask before the next wave of digital investments reaches your clients.

9:45am - 10.25am
MORNING TEA
10:25am - 11:25am
SMSF Audit and AI: Innovation Meets Obligation

Jacob Kewley, Director, Tactical Super

Session details

SMSF Audit and AI: Innovation Meets Obligation

Concurrent 9A
10:25am – 11:25am

Jacob Kewley, Director, Tactical Super

AI is already changing the SMSF landscape. It is embedded in technology, appearing in third-party tools and creating new opportunities for efficiency across administration, accounting, advice and audit. But when AI becomes part of the process, what happens to the evidence, professional judgement and accountability that sit behind it?

In this practical session, Jacob will use the SMSF audit lens to cut through the hype and explore where AI can genuinely help, where the boundaries lie and what professionals should think twice about. He’ll examine the constraints imposed by auditing and professional obligations, where client data can safely go, where efficiencies can be gained without compromising quality, and what happens when AI-generated or AI-assisted work ultimately forms part of the audit trail.

Whether you’re an auditor, accountant, administrator or adviser, this session will help you understand what AI can do, what it shouldn’t do and what the auditor may need from you when it has been used. With AI already part of the SMSF ecosystem, Jacob will bring some order to the disruption and consider where we can responsibly take it next.

Related Parties, Hidden Tax Consequences

Michael Carruthers, Tax Director, Knowledge Shop

Session details

Related Parties, Hidden Tax Consequences

Concurrent 9B
10:25am – 11:25am

Michael Carruthers, Tax Director, Knowledge Shop

Related-party transactions are rarely just an SMSF issue or just an income tax issue. Tax risks are often hidden in the wider structure and can be easily missed when a transaction is viewed through only one lens.

Drawing on his broad tax expertise, Michael Carruthers works through a range of typical transactions involving SMSFs, members, related trusts and companies, showing how decisions made at one level can cause ripples across the group. From CGT, Division 7A, debt forgiveness, integrity rules for trusts, GST and market value rules, delegates will see how fixing one problem can sometimes create another and understand the impact this can have on the SMSF.

Delegates will leave being able to identify the tax risks that are most often missed and the key questions to ask when dealing with related-party transactions.

Cybersecurity, Trust & Leadership: A New Perspective

Jim Kay, Founder & CEO, IT Networks

Session details

Cybersecurity, Trust & Leadership: A New Perspective

Concurrent 9C
10:25am – 11:25am

Jim Kay, Founder & CEO, IT Networks

A cyber incident doesn’t just put systems and data at risk. For SMSF professionals, it can put client trust, professional reputation and business continuity on the line.

In this practical session, Jim Kay moves cybersecurity beyond the IT department to explore it as a business, governance and leadership issue. He’ll examine what happens when trust is tested, the decisions professionals may be forced to make when an incident occurs, and why preparation needs to start well before a breach.

Importantly, strengthening cyber resilience doesn’t have to require significant resources or investment. Jim will explore practical ways SMSF practices can strengthen their resilience, protect the confidence clients place in them and be better prepared when something goes wrong.

Because when your business is built on trust, protecting it is everyone’s responsibility.

11:35am - 12:35pm
Estate Planning: Time for a Rethink?

Scott Hay-Bartlem, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers

Session details

Estate Planning: Time for a Rethink?

Plenary 5
11:40am – 12:35pm

Scott Hay-Bartlem, Partner, Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers

Estate plans are built around assumptions about tax, superannuation, beneficiaries and control. But what happens when those assumptions change?

In this closing plenary, Scott Hay-Bartlem brings together some of the significant developments reshaping estate planning for SMSF clients. From the interaction of Div 296 with death and estate administration to questions around dependants, the payment of death benefits and changes affecting testamentary trusts, Scott will examine what these developments mean for existing strategies and where previously settled thinking may need to be revisited.

Drawing together themes explored throughout National Conference, this session will challenge delegates to look again at the plans already sitting in the drawer and ask: does the strategy still work when the rules, circumstances and assumptions around it change?

12:35pm - 12:45pm
Closing address

Peter Burgess, CEO, SMSF Association

12:55pm
Final Day Luncheon Partnered by Coinspot
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It brings a lot of value to the industry: a lot of people come here for the excellent presenters and CPD points, but I think the connection with everyone getting back together is a big part of it.
Another great line-up of presentations from well informed and interested presenters that kept me engaged from start to finish.