Public Interest Disclosure

To decide if Council is the right place to make your report, think about who and what the report is about. Council can receive a PID if

• The report is about the conduct of the Council or its employees.
• The Council is responsible for investigating certain issues. For example, the Crime and Corruption Commission can get PIDs about official misconduct.

If Council is the right place to make your report, you should submit your PID to the Chief Executive Officer. Reports can be made verbally, in writing, or using the online form linked below.

Members of the public can report a PID for:

• A serious and specific danger to public health and safety, or to a person with a disability
• A significant breach of environmental law that poses a specific danger to the environment
• A reprisal (explained below)

A reprisal happens if someone tries to harm you because they think you:

• Have made, or plan to make, a PID
• Have taken part in, or plan to take part in, procedures under the PID Act

If it’s not clear whether a report is a Public Interest Disclosure (PID) under the Act, it will be treated as a PID, and the Act will apply.

There's no specific format needed to make a Public Interest Disclosure (PID). However, for the best assessment and outcome, it's best to:

• Make the PID in writing (if possible)
• Include all available information

You can also make a PID verbally.

Use the Public Interest Disclosures online form below to submit your PID.

Be ready to provide supporting evidence to help with the investigation.

You can make a PID anonymously. However, the Council prefers if you identify yourself. This helps in two main ways:

• Better assessment and investigation of the PID
• Ensuring you get the right support

If you decide to stay anonymous, please provide as much information as possible in your report. This will help in properly assessing and investigating the PID. Remember, anonymous disclosers won’t be informed about the investigation results. Because of this, some protections in the Act may not apply.

When making a PID, you must:

• Provide honest and accurate information. Giving false or misleading information is a crime.
• Give all the information you have. Don't try to investigate the matter yourself.
• Report the PID to someone you believe is the right authority to receive it.