Australian Prudential Regulation Authority publishes 2025–26 Corporate Plan prioritising cyber resilience, CPS 230 compliance assessments and superannuation scrutiny

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has published its 2025–26 Corporate Plan, setting strategic priorities for the next four years and outlining policy, supervision and data priorities for the coming 12 to 18 months to support the safety and stability of banks, insurers, superannuation trustees and the wider financial system. The plan is structured around four objectives: maintaining financial and operational resilience, responding to significant and emerging risks, getting the regulatory balance right, and improving APRA’s organisational effectiveness. Priority initiatives include strengthening cyber resilience across regulated industries, with monitoring for emerging risks linked to artificial intelligence adoption and geopolitical tensions; assessing compliance with Prudential Standard CPS 230 on operational risk management; and updating governance prudential standards. APRA also plans to publish results from its inaugural System Stress Test focused on interconnectedness between banking and superannuation, intensify scrutiny of superannuation fund expenditure and review the investment governance and member outcomes of major platform providers, and release findings from its Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the general insurance sector. Alongside safety objectives, the plan signals a heightened focus on proportionality and reducing unnecessary burden, including consultation on formalising a third tier of proportionality in the banking prudential framework, promoting access to more affordable reinsurance for general insurers, and removing duplicative or unnecessary requirements.