1. Purpose and Intent
Council recognises the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct.
This policy outlines the way in which any individual, including members of the public, Council officers and Councillors can disclose information which enables the prevention of fraud and corruption.
This policy fulfils Councils requirement to establish and publish procedures under s 58 of the Act and in accordance with the Guidelines of the IBAC published under s 57 of the Act.1
The purpose of the Act is to encourage and facilitate the making of disclosures of improper conduct and detrimental action by public officers and public bodies.
Council will take all reasonable steps to protect people who make such disclosures from any detrimental action in reprisal for making the disclosure. It will also afford natural justice to the person or body who is the subject of the disclosure. Councils process for Welfare Management of a Public Interest Disclosure (PID) is outlined in a separate process.
An essential component of this protection is to ensure that information connected to a public interest disclosure, including the identity of a discloser and the contents of that disclosure, are kept strictly confidential.
2. Scope
Council can only deal with disclosures which concern Council officers, including contractors and volunteers.
The conduct or action being disclosed may be one which has taken place, is still occurring, or is believed is intended to be taken or engaged in. Disclosures may also be made about conduct that occurred prior to the commencement of the Act on 10 February 2013.
Disclosures about improper conduct or detrimental action by Council’s Councillors must be made to the IBAC or to the Victorian Ombudsman. Those disclosures may not be made to the Council.
This policy encompasses:
- how disclosures may be made to Council
- how the Council manages the receipt of disclosures
- notifications Council is required to make about disclosures, to both disclosers and to the IBAC