Smartgroup grows its workforce in South Australia

Smart, one of Australia’s leading salary packaging and novated leasing businesses, is growing its workforce by more than 40 people at its Keswick office, as it prepares to become the exclusive salary packaging and novated leasing provider to South Australia's public sector.

Smartgroup CEO Scott Wharton said the additional people will be responsible for managing the salary package and novated leasing needs of South Australia’s public sector taking the organisation’s South Australian workforce to more than 200 people.

“From today we are helping the thousands of nurses, teachers, police officers and firies, and other public servants, across Adelaide and regional South Australia, increase their take home pay,”

Mr Wharton said. Mr Wharton said salary packaging and novated leasing were becoming increasingly relevant as the cost of living continues to add pressure to household budgets.

"Salary packaging and novated leasing unlock more of people's pay by saving them money on things they need, like a car, while reducing their cost of living," he said.

“For example, a nurse in suburban Adelaide earning $70,000 a year can save more than $3,000 by salary packaging.”

Department of Primary Industries and Regions, SA General Manager, Regions Peta Crewe has benefitted from a novated lease for the past five years, which she estimated has saved her $18,000 in costs over that time.

“Knowing that no matter what happens the costs of the vehicle are covered, I don’t need to account if something goes wrong with the vehicle, or if I need to get some new tyres, I don’t need to worry about that cashflow, because it’s all factored into that budget and ready for me to access,” Ms Crewe said.

As part of Smart’s commitment to South Australia, the business has expanded its Keswick offices and appointed experienced South Australian business leader Jane Jeffreys AM as its South Australian Chair.

Smart currently provides salary packaging and novated leasing employee benefits services for more than 150 employers and 25,000 workers in South Australia.

Smartgroup is one of Australia’s leading employee management services businesses, serving approximately half a million customers in 2023 and managing well over 90,000 vehicles across both novated leasing and fleet. Smartgroup’s client base employs more than 1.5 million Australians.

South Australia’s public servants will be able to access the Smart salary packaging and novated leasing platform from June 3 at sagov.smart.com.au.