Public interest disclosures

The National Australia Day Council (NADC) is committed to the highest standards of ethical and accountable conduct.  

The NADC is subject to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) (PID Act).

Broadly speaking, a disclosure is a 'public interest disclosure' (PID) if:

  • it is made by a current or former public official;
  • the information disclosed tends to show, or the discloser believes on reasonable grounds that it tends to show, one or more instances of 'disclosable conduct'; and
  • the disclosure is made to the person's 'supervisor' or an 'authorised officer'.

'Disclosable conduct' includes a wide range of wrongful conduct engaged in by an agency (as defined by section 73 of the PID Act) or by a public official in connection with his or her position as a public official. It includes conduct that contravenes a law, maladministration or abuse of public trust, or conduct that results in wastage of public money or property. Conduct by a public official that could, if proven, give reasonable grounds for formal misconduct action against the public official is also disclosable conduct.

Under the PID Act, the NADC is required to prepare procedures for facilitating and dealing with public interest disclosures relating to the NADC. These procedures explain:

  • what a public interest disclosure (PID) is and who may make them;
  • how and to whom a PID can be made; and
  • what happens after a person makes a PID in relation to the NADC.

The NADC's procedures for public interest disclosures can be found here. 

Authorised officers

The authorised officers for the NADC under the PID Act are:

  • Primary authorised officer, Karen Wilson, Chief Operating Officer who can be contacted at karen.wilson@australiaday.org.au; and
  • Secondary authorised officer (for allegations of disclosable conduct involving the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer or where the discloser considers it appropriate), Stepan Kerkyasharian, Chair of the Finance Audit and Risk Management Committee who can be contacted at Stepan.Kerkyasharian@australiaday.org.au

More information

For more information, visit the PID Scheme page on the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.