APRA publishes new Statement of Expectations and Statement of Intent

APRA published its Statement of Intent on 16 July 2026 in response to the Australian Government's Statement of Expectations for the regulator, with ASIC publishing an updated Statement of Intent on the same day. The Statement of Expectations sets out the Government's expectations for how APRA will achieve its objectives, carry out its functions and exercise its powers, and is intended to be read alongside the legislation that applies to and is administered by APRA.

The Government's Statement of Expectations asks APRA to promote sound prudential outcomes and the stability of the financial system, to balance financial safety, efficiency, competition and competitive neutrality, to support strong and sustainable economic growth including by facilitating the flow of finance, and to take a risk based and proportionate approach to supervision. It also asks APRA to promote a stable and efficient superannuation system, a viable and competitive insurance industry, and to use formal enforcement powers where appropriate while recognising it cannot guarantee a zero failure rate among regulated institutions.

APRA's Statement of Intent responds by setting out how it will meet these expectations across its role and responsibilities, policy priorities, regulatory approach, relationships with external stakeholders and organisational matters, and reaffirms its commitment to being a high performing prudential regulator serving the interests of the Australian community. APRA stated that its policy and supervisory approaches are risk based and proportionate to the size, complexity and business model of supervised institutions, while implementing international standards in a manner appropriate for Australian circumstances.

The documents represent a statement of regulatory posture and priorities rather than a change to the legislative framework APRA administers, and do not themselves alter existing prudential standards or reporting obligations.