The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
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; and
- 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 Workplace Gender Equality Agency;
- be by a person who is or has been a public official;
- be to their supervisor or manager, or an Authorised Officer of WGEA; and
- tend to show, or the discloser believes on reasonable grounds it tends to show, one or more instances of disclosable conduct.
WGEA public interest disclosures procedures
The PID Act requires that the Director of WGEA (as a Principal Officer under the PID Act) establish procedures for facilitating and dealing with public interest disclosures relating to WGEA.
Authorised Officers
WGEA has appointed Authorised Officers for handling public interest disclosures. These are the Director and the Operations Executive Manager.
What will happen with your public interest disclosure?
An authorised officer will be responsible for handling your public interest disclosure in the first instance. For general information on what will happen with your public interest disclosure, please see the WGEA PID Procedures.
Making an internal public interest disclosure to WGEA
If you would like to make an internal public interest disclosure about WGEA you can contact us by mail, email or phone.
Email: wgea@wgea.gov.au
You should enter in the subject line: "Confidential - WGEA PID Authorised Officer"
Write to:
WGEA PID Authorised Officer
Workplace Gender Equality Agency
Level 7, 309 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
You should mark any envelopes or external covers with: "Confidential - WGEA PID"
Phone: +61 2 9432 7000 and ask to speak to an Authorised Officer.
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 WGEA officer can, if you provide your contact details, always phone you to clarify matters.