About public interest disclosures

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) commenced on 15 January 2014.

The legislation creates a public interest disclosure scheme that promotes integrity and accountability in the Australian public sector. It does this by:

• encouraging and facilitating the disclosure of information by public officials about suspected wrongdoing in the public sector
• ensuring that public officials who make public interest disclosures are supported and protected from adverse consequences
• ensuring that disclosures by public officials are properly investigated and dealt with.

Please note: The information provided here is only for those wishing to make an internal public interest disclosure. This means the disclosure must:

• be about the Australian Institute of Family Studies
• be by a person who is or has been a public official
• be to their supervisor or manager, or an Authorised Officer of AIFS
• tend to show, or the discloser believes on reasonable grounds it tends to show, one or more instances of disclosable conduct.

How to make a public interest disclosure

If you would like to make an internal public interest disclosure about AIFS you can do so by email, mail or phone.

Authorised Officers

AIFS has appointed Authorised Officers for handling public interest disclosures. These are the Chief Operating Officer and Research Directors.

Putting public interest disclosures in writing

While you are not required to make a public interest disclosure in writing, there can be benefits in doing so. Setting things out in writing gives you the opportunity to carefully and clearly set out the particular issues you have, without the risk of anything relevant being missed or misunderstood. If there is any confusion or uncertainty surrounding a written public interest disclosure an appropriate AIFS officer can, if you provide your contact details, always phone you to clarify matters.

What happens with your public interest disclosure

An authorised officer will be responsible for handling your public interest disclosure in the first instance. See our agency response procedures.