Overview
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) seeks to promote integrity and accountability in the Australian public sector. This is done by:
- encouraging the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing, protecting people who make disclosures and requiring agencies to act
- protecting and supporting individuals who make a disclosure from adverse consequences, and
- ensuring that disclosures by public officials are properly investigated and dealt with.
Who can make a public interest disclosure?
To make a disclosure under the PID Act, a person must be a current or former public official. This broad term includes:
- the principal officer of an agency (i.e. the Chief Executive Officer of the Mint)
- a member of staff of an agency (including an APS employee in the agency)
- a service provider under a Commonwealth contract, along with their officers and employees who provide services directly or indirectly for the purposes of the Commonwealth contract
- a statutory officeholder
- a person employed under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999
- a member of the Australian Defence Force
- an appointee of the Australian Federal Police, and
- a person deemed to be a public official by an authorised officer under section 70 of the PID Act.
Types of wrongdoing covered by the PID Act
A disclosure is information that tends to show, or that the public official reasonably believes tends to show, disclosable conduct. The types of conduct which may be the subject of PID includes, but is not limited to:
- illegal conduct
- corruption (including corrupt conduct)
- maladministration
- abuse of public trust
- fabrication, falsification, plagiarism or deception relating to scientific research
- wastage of public money or public property
- unreasonable danger, or increased risk of danger, to health and safety
- danger, or an increased risk of danger, to the environment
- a public official abusing their position
- conduct that could (if proved) give reasonable grounds for disciplinary action resulting in the termination of the public official’s engagement or appointment, or
- any conduct prescribed by the PID Rules.
How do I make a disclosure?
To gain the protections available under the PID Act, disclosures must be made to an appropriate person.
The Mint’s authorised officers under the PID Act are:
- Senior Legal Officer, or
- Director, Human Resources.
To contact an authorised officer:
- email PID@ramint.gov.au
- telephone 02 6202 6965 or 02 6202 6817, or
- send your disclosure to:
Senior Legal Officer or the Director, Human Resources
Royal Australian Mint
Denison Street
Deakin ACT 2600
Please mark your correspondence as confidential.
Procedures for PID
A copy of the Mint’s procedures can be accessed from the links below.
Procedures for Public Interest Disclosures – HTML
Procedures for Public Interest Disclosures – PDF
Further information
The Commonwealth Ombudsman is responsible for administering the PID scheme across all Commonwealth agencies and provides specific guidance to public officials thinking about making a PID.
Additional information can be found on the Public interest disclosure (whistleblowing) | Commonwealth Ombudsman