Public Interest Disclosures Internal Reporting Policy

This Public Interest Disclosures Internal Reporting Policy provides an effective framework for the making and management of disclosures and the protection and support for people who make them. For the period between 1 April 2022 and 1 July 2022, employees of DCITHS who were employed by another NSW government agency prior to 1 April 2022, may apply the public interest disclosure policies and procedures of those agencies and be afforded the protections under the PID Act as if they were the policies and procedures of DCITHS at the time the disclosure is made. On and from 1 July 2022, this policy shall apply in full to all DCITHS employees. 

Commitment of the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport 

This Public Interest Disclosures Internal Reporting Policy has been developed in accordance with the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 (PID Act) and provides an effective framework for the making and management of disclosures and the protection and support for people who make them. 

The reporting of suspected wrongdoing by staff is vital to the integrity of the public sector. Staff who are prepared to raise their concerns about corrupt conduct, maladministration or other serious wrongdoing are one of the most important and accurate sources of information for identifying and addressing serious problems within an organisation. 

Managers and supervisors are responsible for establishing and maintaining a positive reporting environment that encourages staff to adopt an ‘if in doubt, report’ approach. Staff should feel that it is a part of their job to report wrongdoing and they will not suffer reprisals for reporting incidents. An ethical work environment gives people confidence that allegations will be taken seriously and receive the appropriate response. 

The Department is committed to protecting staff who make disclosures concerning corrupt conduct, maladministration, serious substantial waste of public money and government information contraventions. 

Policy outline 

A public official as defined by section 4A of the  PID Act has broad application. If you are unsure whether you or a person making a disclosure to you are a Public Official under the PID Act you should contact a member of the DCITHS legal team. 

A key objective of the PID Act is to encourage and facilitate the disclosure, in the public interest, of corrupt conduct, maladministration, serious and substantial waste, and breaches of  the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 in the public sector (collectively and individually PID Events) by: 

• providing for those disclosures to be properly investigated and dealt with; and 
• protecting people from reprisals simply because they have made a disclosure. 

The PID Act sets out a comprehensive framework for protecting public officials who disclose wrongdoing in accordance with the Act. An effective protective disclosure system encourages public officials, who are often best placed to identify wrongdoing, to come forward and report problems with public sector administration. This enables problems to be adequately addressed ensuring continual improvement in the integrity of public sector administration. 

All staff should act in an honest and proper manner in the workplace (consistent with the principles laid down in the DCITHS Code of Conduct). This includes a duty to report PID Events. 

This policy has been developed in accordance with the provisions of the PID Act and is supported by procedures based on the NSW Ombudsman’s guidelines. The policy establishes an internal reporting system that aims to protect and support staff who may wish to come forward with disclosures relating to: 

• corrupt conduct 
• maladministration 
• serious and substantial waste of public money 
• contravention of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) 

The policy enables PID Events to be made to a disclosure coordinator or nominated disclosure officers, as an alternative to reporting to the Secretary as the Principal Officer. 

Internal Procedure 

1. Responsibilities of staff 

Staff are encouraged to report known or suspected PID Events in accordance with this policy. 

All staff of the Department have important roles to play in supporting those who have made legitimate disclosures. Staff must abstain from any activity that is or could be perceived to be victimisation or harassment of a person who has made a disclosure of a PID Event. Further, they should protect and maintain the confidentiality of any person they know or suspect to have made disclosures. 

The policy may also apply to other people who perform public official functions and their conduct and activities could be investigated by an investigating authority. This can include volunteers and those contracted to work for the Department. 

2. What should be reported 

You should report any wrongdoing you see within the Department. Reports about any of the four categories of serious wrongdoing constituting a PID Event, will be dealt with under the PID Act as protected disclosures and according to this policy. 

2.1. Corrupt conduct 

Corrupt conduct is the dishonest or partial exercise of official functions by a public official. 

This could include: 

• the improper use of knowledge, power or position for personal gain or the advantage of others 
• acting dishonestly or unfairly, or breaching public trust 
• a member of the public influencing or trying to influence a public official to use their position in a way that is dishonest, biased or breaches public trust. 

2.2. Maladministration 

Maladministration is conduct that involves action or inaction of a serious nature that is contrary to law, unreasonable, unjust, oppressive or improperly discriminatory or based wholly or partly on improper motives. 

This could include: 

• making a decision and/or taking action that is unlawful 
• refusing to grant someone a licence or a variation to a licence for reasons that are not related to the merits of their application. 

2.3. Serious and substantial waste of public money 

Serious and substantial waste is the uneconomical, inefficient or ineffective use of resources that could result in the loss or wastage of public resources. 

This could include: 

• not following a competitive tendering process for a large-scale contract 
• having bad or no processes in place for a system involving large amounts of public funds. 

2.4. Contravention of the GIPA Act 

A contravention of the GIPA Act could include: 

• destroying, concealing or altering records to prevent them from being released 
• knowingly making decisions that are contrary to the legislation 
• directing another person to make a decision that is contrary to the legislation. 

2.5. Other wrongdoing 

Although reports about the previous four categories of conduct can attract the specific protections of the PID Act, you should report all activities or incidents that you believe are wrong. They will be dealt with in line with relevant Department policies and procedures. 

3. When will a report be protected? 

The Department will support any staff who report wrongdoing. For a report to be considered a protected disclosure, it has to meet all of the requirements under the PID Act. These requirements are: 

• The person making the disclosure must honestly believe on reasonable grounds that the information shows or tends to show wrongdoing. 
• The report has to be made to one or more of the following: 
  1. a position nominated in this policy – see section 7.4 and 7.5 
  2. Secretary 
  3. one of the investigating authorities nominated in the PID Act – see section 10.

Reports by staff will not be considered to be protected disclosures if they: 

• mostly question the merits of government policy 
• are made with the sole or substantial motive of avoiding dismissal or other disciplinary action. 

4. How to make a report 

You can report wrongdoing in writing or verbally. You are encouraged to make a report in writing as this can help to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation. Please fill out the Public Interest Disclosure Report Form. 

If a report is made verbally, the person receiving the report must make a comprehensive record of the disclosure and ask the person making the disclosure to sign this record.  

The staff member making the disclosure should keep a copy of this record. 

If you are concerned about being seen making a report, ask to meet in a discreet location away from the workplace. 

5. Anonymous reports 

There will be some situations where you may not want to identify yourself when you make a report. Although these reports will still be dealt with by the Department, it is best if you identify yourself. This allows us to provide you with any necessary protection and support, as well as feedback about the outcome of any investigation into the allegations. Where an anonymous report is made, many of those response and support mechanisms outlined in this policy will not be available. 

It is important to realise that depending on the nature of the disclosure, an anonymous disclosure may not prevent you from being identified by the facts or matters disclosed. Further, if we do not know who made the report, it is very difficult for us to prevent any reprisal action. 

6. Maintaining confidentiality 

The Department realises many staff will want their report to remain confidential. This can help to prevent any action being taken against you for reporting wrongdoing. 

We are committed to keeping your identity, and the fact you have reported wrongdoing, confidential. However, there may be situations where this may not be possible or appropriate. We will discuss with you whether it is possible to keep your report confidential. 

If confidentiality cannot be maintained, we will develop a plan to support and protect you from risks of reprisal. You will be involved in developing this plan. 

If you report wrongdoing, you should only discuss your report with those dealing with it. This will include the Disclosures Coordinator, Disclosures Officer and the Secretary. 

7. Who can receive and/or assess a report within the Department 

You are encouraged to report general wrongdoing to your manager. However, the PID Act requires that, for a report to be a protected disclosure, it must be made to a public official in accordance with the organisation’s disclosure procedures. For the Department, that means this policy. 

7.1. Staff receiving a report 

The responsibilities of staff receiving a report, whether they are the Secretary as Principal Officer, Disclosures Coordinator or Disclosures Officer, include: 

• keeping the identity of the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report confidential, if this is possible and appropriate 
• when requested by a person wishing to report wrongdoing, arranging to meet with them privately and discreetly – if necessary, away from the workplace 
• assisting the person to put their report in writing or ensuring that any reports received orally are documented, dated and signed by the person 
• forwarding reports to the Disclosures Coordinator for assessment 
• advising the internal reporter to only discuss the matter with authorised people and not alert anyone who is the subject of a report that a disclosure has been made about them 
• explaining to the internal reporter what will happen in relation to the information receive 
• advising the internal reporter to notify the Disclosures Coordinator or Secretary immediately of any suspicions they have that reprisal is occurring or has been threatened against them 
• helping the internal reporter to communicate with the Disclosures Coordinator, Secretary, or their support person if they are having difficulty doing this directly 
• when meeting with the internal reporter, discuss all points and ask internal reporter to sign an Internal Report – Confirmation of information provided to individual reporting wrongdoing form. 

All disclosures officers should be accessible to staff and appropriately trained in their responsibilities. 

Any manager who receives a report that they believe may be a protected disclosure must refer the staff member making the report to one of the positions listed below. The positions listed in this policy are the only staff within the Department who can receive a protected disclosure. 

7.2. Staff assessing a report 

This policy sets out below the positions that are responsible for assessing what should happen in response to a report of wrongdoing. Reports received by nominated Disclosures Officers should generally be referred to the Disclosures Coordinator or Secretary for assessment. 

The responsibilities of staff assessing a report include: 

• determining whether or not the report is a protected disclosure 
• deciding how the report should be progressed, whether it is a protected disclosure or not, providing the Secretary with written advice about the initial assessment and the decision about how the report is to be progressed 
• ensuring that a written acknowledgement is given to the internal reporter as soon as possible, but at least within two weeks of having received the report 
• in consultation with the internal reporter, assessing the likelihood of their identity remaining confidential in the workplace if the report is investigated 
• as far as possible and appropriate, keeping the identity of the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report confidential 
• if it is not possible to maintain confidentiality, developing a strategy for supporting the internal reporter and preventing reprisals – and giving the internal reporter an opportunity to discuss this proposal with you 
• in consultation with the internal reporter, assessing the likelihood of them being exposed to reprisal or workplace conflict 
• in consultation with the internal reporter, appointing a support person to assist them, someone who is not an investigator or someone with management responsibility for deciding the response to the report 
• providing advice to the internal reporter’s manager or the Secretary on the systems and strategies that should be established to minimise any risk of reprisal that the internal reporter faces 
• reminding all managers that they have an obligation to notify the Disclosures Coordinator or Secretary immediately of any suspicions they have or allegations they receive that reprisal to an internal reporter is occurring or has been threatened. 
• encouraging all managers to notify the Disclosures Coordinator or Secretary immediately of any suspicions they have that reprisal to an internal reporter is likely to occur. 

7.3. The Secretary as the Principal Officer 

You can report wrongdoing directly to the Secretary. 

The Secretary is responsible for: 

• deciding if a report is a public interest disclosure 
• determining what needs to be done next, including referring it to other authorities 
• deciding what needs to be done to correct any problem that has been identified 
• ensuring that the Department has the required policy and that staff are made aware of the contents of the policy and the protections under the PID Act 
• establishing and maintaining a working environment that encourages staff to report wrongdoing 
• establishing an effective internal reporting system to appropriately deal with reports of wrongdoing, support staff who report, and ensure reprisals are not taken against them 
• ensuring adequate resources, both financial and human, are dedicated towards achieving these outcomes. 

If wrongdoing is reported to the Secretary under s.8(1)(2) of the PID Act, the Secretary has the responsibilities outlined at 7.1. In addition to these general responsibilities, the Secretary must also refer actual or suspected corrupt conduct to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). 

The Secretary is also responsible for assessing any reports that are received in accordance with the responsibilities set out at 7.2. 

Irrespective of whether the Secretary receives or assesses a report, the Secretary’s responsibilities include: 

• as far as possible and appropriate, keeping the identity of the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report confidential 
• ensuring that they are advised when an assessment decision has been made about a report and, if further action is recommended, given regular progress updates and a report of the outcome 
• ensuring that a person who makes a public interest disclosure to the authority, receives the agency’s PID policy and an acknowledgment of receipt of their disclosure within two working days of the person having made the disclosure 
• providing adequate resources to any support person appointed to assist an internal reporter 
• providing adequate resources to any person appointed to investigate a report 
• ensuring that appropriate systems and strategies are established to minimise any risk of reprisal that the internal reporter faces 
• effectively managing the workplace situation, or ensuring that the workplace situation is effectively managed, if reprisal is threatened or does take place 
• taking appropriate action against anyone who threatens or takes reprisal against a person for reporting wrongdoing. 

7.4. Disclosures Coordinator 

The Disclosures Coordinator has a central role in dealing with reports made by staff. The Disclosures Coordinator receives, assesses, and refers report to the people within the Department or externally (in consultation with the Secretary) who can deal with them appropriately. 

When the Disclosures Coordinator receives or assesses an internal report, their responsibilities are those set out at 7.1 and 7.2. 

Irrespective of whether the Disclosures Coordinator receives or assesses a report, their responsibilities include: 

• keeping the identity of the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report confidential, as far as possible and appropriate 
• continually assessing the likelihood of the internal reporter being exposed to reprisal or workplace conflict 
• ensuring that appropriate systems and strategies are established to minimise any risk of reprisals that the internal reporter faces 
• ensuring that the internal reporter is kept regularly informed about the progress of the matter 
• ensuring that a person who makes a public interest disclosure to the authority, receives the agency’s PID policy and an acknowledgment of receipt of their disclosure within two working days of the person having made the disclosure 
• ensuring that the time frames promised in the acknowledgement letter are adhered to in consultation with the Secretary assessing whether a report requires a ‘desk top audit’ or a preliminary investigation or if enough evidence has been provided to authorise a full investigation in consultation with the Secretary, deciding whether an audit or investigation is to be conducted by a senior and experienced staff member within the Department or engaging an external investigator. If the Disclosures Coordinator becomes aware that reprisal against an internal reporter is threatened or is taking place or has taken place, their responsibilities include:  
  • taking all steps to enable the internal reporter to continue working without being subjected to reprisal, or changing the workplace so that their exposure to the detriment is minimised (for example, moving staff to a different location) 
  • ensuring a senior and experienced staff member, who has not been involved in dealing with the initial report, investigates the suspected reprisal 
  • ensuring that the results of that investigation and any arising recommendations, including that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against anyone proven to have taken any reprisal, are provided to the Secretary for a decision 
  • referring any evidence of reprisals to the police, the ICAC to see if there are sufficient lines of inquiry to establish that a criminal offence has taken place
  • the Disclosures Coordinator is also responsible for ensuring that the Department meets its broader obligations under the PID Act, including: 
  • implementing an internal reporting policy that provides procedures for receiving, assessing and dealing with protected disclosures 
  • reporting annually on the incidence and management of protected disclosures within the Department to the minister responsible for  the Department within 4 months after the end of each reporting year
  • reporting on the incidence and management of protected disclosures within the Department for each six month period ending 30 June and 31 December respectively and providing a copy of this report to the Ombudsman within 30 days of the end of the relevant period. See s6AC and s31 of the PID Act 

Contact details for the Disclosures Coordinator: 

Ian Young 
A/Executive Director, Governance 
Operations Branch 
52 Martin Place, Sydney 2000. 
Email: ian.young@dciths.nsw.gov.au

7.5. Disclosures Officers 

Disclosure Officers have the responsibilities outlined at 7.1. 

Nominated Disclosure Officers are responsible for receiving, forwarding and acting upon reports made in accordance with the policy. Nominated Disclosure Officers will: 

• clearly explain to the person making a disclosure what will happen in relation to the information received 
• when requested by a person wishing to make a disclosure, make arrangements to ensure that disclosures can be made privately and discreetly (if necessary, away from the workplace) 
• put in writing and date any disclosures received orally (and have the person making the disclosure sign the document) 
• deal with disclosures impartially 
• forward disclosures to the disclosure coordinator for assessment 
• take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that the identity of the person who has made a disclosure, and any person who is the subject of a disclosure, are kept confidential (where this is practical and reasonable) 
• support any person who has made a disclosure and protect them from victimisation, harassment, or any other form of reprisal. 

Contact details for the Disclosures Officer: 

Mr Chris Carr 
A/General Counsel 
Operations Branch 
52 Martin Place, Sydney 2000. 
Email: chris.carr@dciths.nsw.gov.au 
Phone: 43 214059 

Ms Lisa Braid 
Deputy Secretary, Engagement, Operations and Governance 
Operations Branch 
52 Martin Place, Sydney 2000. 
Email: lisa.braid@dciths.nsw.gov.au

8. Who can receive a report outside of the Department 

Staff are encouraged to report wrongdoing within the Department, but internal reporting is not your only option. If you follow the guidance below, your report can still be a protected disclosure. 

You can choose to make your report to an investigating authority. You can do this at first, or at any stage after your initial report to the Department. If your report is about the Secretary, you should make it to an investigating authority. 

You can also choose to make a report to a Member of Parliament (MP) or a journalist, but only in limited circumstances. 

The PID Act lists the investigating authorities in NSW that staff can report wrongdoing to and the categories of wrongdoing each authority can deal with. 

Auditor-General — for serious and substantial waste 

ICAC — for corrupt conduct 

NSW Ombudsman — for maladministration 

Law Enforcement Conduct Commission — for police misconduct, disclosures about the Police Integrity Commission or its staff 

Division of Local Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet — for serious and substantial waste in local government agencies 

ICAC Inspector — for disclosures about the ICAC or its staff 

Information Commissioner — for disclosures about a GIPA Act contravention. 

You should contact the relevant authority for advice about how to make a disclosure to them. Contact details for each investigating authority are provided at the end of this policy.  

You should be aware that it is very likely the investigating authority will discuss the case with the Department. We will make every effort to assist and cooperate with the investigating authority to ensure the matter is dealt with appropriately and there is a satisfactory outcome. We will also provide appropriate support and assistance to staff who report wrongdoing to an investigating authority. 

8.1 MPs or journalists 

To have the protections of the PID Act, staff reporting wrongdoing to a MP or a journalist must have already made substantially the same report to one of the following: 

• the Secretary 
• a person nominated in this policy 
• an investigating authority in accordance with the PID Act. 

Also, the Department or the investigating authority that received the report must have either: 

• decided not to investigate the matter 
• decided to investigate the matter, but not completed the investigation within six months of the original report 
• investigated the matter but not recommended any action as a result 
• not told the person who made the report, within six months of the report being made, whether the matter will be investigated. 
• Importantly, to be protected under the PID Act, if you report wrongdoing to an MP or a journalist you will need to be able to prove that you have reasonable grounds for believing that the disclosure is substantially true and that it is in fact substantially true. 
• if you report wrongdoing to a person or an organisation that is not listed above, you will not be protected under the PID Act. This may mean you will be in breach of legal obligations or DCITHS’s Code of Conduct by, for example, disclosing confidential information. 
• for more information about reporting wrongdoing outside the Department, contact the Disclosures Coordinator or the NSW Ombudsman’s Public Interest Disclosures Unit. 

9. Support for those reporting wrongdoing 

The Department will make sure that staff who have reported wrongdoing, regardless of whether they have made a protected disclosure, are provided with access to any reasonable professional support they may need, such as stress management, counselling services, legal or career advice. 

People and Culture are responsible for initiating and coordinating support, particularly to those who are suffering any form of reprisal. 

The responsibilities of staff appointed to provide support include: 

• as far as possible and appropriate, keeping the identity of the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report confidential 
• initiating and coordinating appropriate action to support internal reporters, particularly those who are suffering any form of reprisal 
• advising internal reporters and anyone who is the subject of a report on the avenues available within your organisation to handle any concerns they may have arising out of the report 
• advising internal reporters and anyone who is the subject of a report on the external organisations and services they can access for support 
• ensuring the internal reporter and anyone who is the subject of a report has access to any necessary professional support 
• monitoring the workplace situation for reprisal or conflict 
• notifying the Disclosures Coordinator or Secretary immediately of any suspicions they have that reprisal to an internal reporter is occurring, is likely to occur or has been threatened. 
• all people leaders must notify the Disclosures Coordinator if they believe a staff member is suffering any detrimental action as a result of disclosing wrongdoing. 

10. Feedback to staff who report wrongdoing 

Staff who report wrongdoing will be told what is happening in response to their report. 

When you make a report, you will be provided with: 

• an acknowledgement that your disclosure has been received 
• a copy of this policy 
• the indicative timeframe for when you will receive further updates 
• the name and contact details of the people who can tell you what is happening. 

This information will be given to you within two working days from the date you make your report. 

After a decision is made about how your report will be dealt with, you will be given: 

• information about the action that will be taken in response to your report 
• indicative timeframes for any investigation  
• information about the resources available within the Department to handle any concerns you may have 
• information about external agencies and services you can access for support. 

This information will be given to you within 10 working days from the date you make your report. 

During any investigation, you will be given: 

• information on the ongoing nature of the investigation 
• information about the progress of the investigation and reasons for any delay 
• advice if your identity needs to be disclosed for the purposes of investigating the matter, and an opportunity to talk about this. 

At the end of any investigation, you will be given: 

• enough information to show that adequate and appropriate action was taken, or is proposed to be taken, in response to your disclosure and any problems that were identified 
• advice about whether you will be involved as a witness in any further matters, such as disciplinary or criminal proceedings. 

11. Protection against reprisals 

The PID Act provides protection for people reporting wrongdoing by imposing penalties on anyone who takes detrimental action substantially in reprisal for them making the protected disclosure. 

The Department will not tolerate any reprisal action against staff who report wrongdoing. The criminal penalties that can be imposed include imprisonment or fines. Detrimental action is also misconduct that justifies disciplinary action. People who take detrimental action against someone who has made a disclosure can also be required to pay damages for any loss suffered by that person. 

Detrimental action means action causing, comprising or involving any of the following: 

• injury, damage or loss 
• intimidation or harassment 
• discrimination, disadvantage or adverse treatment in relation to employment 
• dismissal from, or prejudice in, employment 
• disciplinary proceedings. 

12. Responding to reprisals 

The Department will act to protect staff who report wrongdoing from reprisals. 

When a report is received, we will ensure that a thorough risk assessment is conducted. This will identify any risks to the member of staff who reported the wrongdoing, as well as strategies to deal with those risks. 

If you believe that detrimental action has been or is being taken against you or someone else who has reported wrongdoing in reprisal for making a report, you should tell your supervisor, the Disclosures Coordinator or the Secretary immediately. 

All managers must report any suspicions they have that reprisal action against a staff member is occurring, is likely to occur or any reports that are made to them, to the Disclosures Coordinator or the Secretary. 

If the Disclosures Coordinator becomes aware of reprisal action against a person who has made a disclosure, they will: 

• ensure a senior and experienced member of staff, who has not been involved in dealing with the initial disclosure, will investigate the suspected reprisal 
• give the results of that investigation to the Secretary for a decision 
• if it has been established that reprisal action is occurring against someone who has made a disclosure, take all steps possible to stop that activity and protect the member of staff who made the disclosure 
• take appropriate disciplinary or seek criminal action against anyone proven to have taken or threatened any action in reprisal for making a disclosure. 
• if you report reprisal action, you will be kept informed of the progress of any investigation and the outcome. 

The Secretary may issue specific directions to help protect against reprisals, including: 

• issuing warnings to those alleged to have taken reprisal action against the member of staff who made the disclosure 
• relocating the member of staff who made the disclosure or the subject officer within the current workplace 
• transferring the member of staff who made the disclosure or the staff member who is the subject of the allegation to another position for which they are qualified 
• granting the member of staff who made the disclosure or the subject officer leave of absence during the investigation of the disclosure. 

These directions will only be taken if the member of staff who made the disclosure agrees to it. The Disclosures Coordinator will make it clear to other staff that this: 

• action was taken in consultation with the staff member and with management support – and it is not a punishment. 
• if you have reported wrongdoing and have a reasonable basis to feel that any reprisal action is not being dealt with effectively, you are encouraged to contact the Ombudsman or the ICAC – depending on the type of wrongdoing you reported. Contact details for all these investigating authorities are included at the end of this policy. 

13. Protection against legal action 

If you make a disclosure in accordance with the PID Act, you will not be subject to any liability and no action, claim or demand can be taken against you for making the disclosure. You will not have breached any confidentiality or secrecy obligations and you will have the defence of absolute privilege in defamation. 

14. Sanctions for making false or misleading disclosures 

It is important that all staff are aware that it is a criminal offence under the PID Act to wilfully make a false or misleading statement when reporting wrongdoing. 

15. Support for the subject of a report 

The Department is committed to ensuring staff who are the subject of a report of wrongdoing are treated fairly and reasonably. If you are the subject of a report, you will be: 

• treated fairly and impartially 
• told your rights and obligations under our policies and procedures 
• kept informed during any investigation 
• given the opportunity to respond to any allegation made against you 
• told the result of any investigation.

More information 

Staff can also access advice and guidance from the Department’s disclosures coordinator. 

Corrupt conduct 
Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) 
Phone: 02 8281 5999 
Toll free: 1800 463 909 
Tel. typewriter (TTY): 02 8281 5773 
Facsimile: 02 9264 5364 
Email: icac@icac.nsw.gov.au 
Website: www.icac.nsw.gov.au
Address: Level 7, 255 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000 
 
Maladministration 
NSW Ombudsman 
Phone: 02 9286 1000 
Toll free (outside Sydney metro): 1800 451 524 
Tel. typewriter (TTY): 02 9264 8050 
Facsimile: 02 9283 2911 
Email: nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au 
Website: www.ombo.nsw.gov.au 
Address: Level 24, 580 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 
 
Serious and substantial waste 
Auditor-General of the NSW Audit Office 
Phone: 02 9275 7100 
Facsimile: 02 9275 7200 
Email: mail@audit.nsw.gov.au 
Website: www.audit.nsw.gov.au 
Address: Level 15, 1 Margaret Street, Sydney NSW 2000 
 
Breaches of the GIPA Act 
Information Commissioner 
Toll free: 1800 472 679  
Facsimile: 02 8114 3756 
Email: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au 
Website: www.ipc.nsw.gov.au 
Address: Level 11, 1 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 

Variation 

The Department may amend this policy from time to time as appropriate.