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Public Interest Disclosure Scheme

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) commenced on 15 January 2014. The PID Act promotes Commonwealth public sector integrity and accountability by facilitating the reporting of suspected wrongdoing and ensuring timely and effective investigation of reports. 

The public interest disclosure scheme supplements existing avenues for complaints and investigations and provides support and protection to persons who make disclosures under the Act. 

Who can make a disclosure 

To be able to make a disclosure under the PID Act you must be a current or former: 

  • person employed by the Australian Government 
  • person employed by Commonwealth companies, statutory authorities, statutory agencies, the Parliamentary service, statutory officeholders and government business enterprises, or 
  • service provider under contract to the Commonwealth and their staff. 

What you can report 

You can disclose information that you believe on reasonable grounds tends to show disclosable conduct’. This is conduct by a Commonwealth agency, public official or a contracted Commonwealth service provider (in connection with a Commonwealth contract) that: 

  • contravenes a law 
  • is corrupt 
  • perverts the course of justice 
  • is maladministration, including conduct that is unjust, oppressive or negligent 
  • is an abuse of public trust 
  • wastes public funds or property 
  • unreasonably endangers health and safety or endangers the environment, and/or 
  • could, if proved, give rise to disciplinary action. 

Disagreement with government policy, action or expenditure does not constitute disclosable conduct. 

Public interest disclosures can be made in person or in writing. We have appointed Authorised Officers to receive public interest disclosures. Initial contact with these officers can be made via email to: NZEAGovernance@pmc.gov.au or mail to:

Public Interest Disclosure Officer

Net Zero Economy Authority  
PO Box 6500  
CANBERRA ACT 2600 

Your identity and contact details, as well as the content of your public interest disclosure, will be protected in accordance with the PID Act. If there are persons who you do not wish to make the disclosure to, clearly identify these persons in your correspondence.  

Often, it will assist the Authorised Officer if they can contact you for further details or clarification. However, if the Authorised Officer contacts you, they will not disclose your name or contact details to others if you have asked to remain anonymous.  

Our Privacy Policy outlines our personal information handling practices, including how to access or correct the personal information that we hold about you. It also contains information about how to contact us, and how to make a complaint about a breach of our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988. 

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