The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has called for "flawed debates" within the superannuation industry to cease and has emphasised the need to bring the focus back to the majority of the population who are short of their retirement savings.
"A significant number of Australians are not appropriately covered in the system," ASFA chief executive Pauline Vamos said.
"This should be our focus."
The industry has been preoccupied with flawed debates around superannuation tax concessions and access age, ignoring the gaps in the system and its ability to deliver adequate retirement outcomes, she said.
The latest report from ASFA titled Equity in superannuation - The real issues identified five main categories of Australians as being the most in need of assistance.
The categories are: the self-employed, individuals on paid parental leave, those under the $450 a month threshold for receiving the superannuation guarantee, Indigenous Australians and recently divorced men and women.
"A successful retirement system has broad coverage, [which] means public policy must be focused on achieving better retirement savings for the bulk of the Australian population," Vamos said.
"This does not mean that the super system should never change but any reforms should be considered against whether they assist in meeting the objective of ensuring that all Australians achieve an adequate retirement income."
She said in relation to increasing the access age for super, it was a complex discussion as most people did not retire voluntarily.
