A public interest disclosure is a disclosure about wrongdoing in the public sector that serves the public interest. For an allegation to be considered a public interest disclosure under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (the PID Act) it must be:

• public interest information about serious wrongdoing or danger
• an appropriate disclosure
• made to a proper authority.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (PID Act) requires Somerset Regional’s Chief Executive Officer to establish procedures to ensure that:

• officers of Council who make Public Interest Disclosures (PIDs) are given appropriate support
• officers are offered protection from reprisals
• Council has a management program for PIDs, in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure standards
• PIDs made to the entity are properly assessed and investigated
• appropriate action is taken in relation to any wrongdoing that is the subject of a PID.

As the oversight agency under section 60 of the PID Act, the Queensland Ombudsman may make standards about the way in which public sector entities are to:

• facilitate the making of PIDs
• perform their functions under the PID Act
• protect people who make PIDs from reprisal.

Council’s Chief Executive Officer has overall responsibility for Public Interest Disclosures (PID) in Somerset Regional Council. Council’s PID Co-ordinator is the Director of Corporate and Community Services and Council’s PID Support Officer is the Director of Human Resources and Customer Services.

 The Public Interest Disclosure standards, issued by the Ombudsman under section 60 of the PID Act detail the actions Council must take when preparing for and responding to a public interest disclosure. These standards are:

Public Interest Disclosure Standard No. 1/2019 – Public Interest Disclosure Management Program  (PDF 144KB)
Public Interest Disclosure Standard No. 2/2019 – Assessing, Investigating and Dealing with Public Interest Disclosures (PDF 169.4KB) 
Public Interest Disclosure Standard No. 3/2019 – Public Interest Disclosure Data Recording and Reporting (PDF 117.8KB) 

The Queensland Ombudsman has a significant amount of information about PID’s and this can be found https://www.ombudsman.qld.gov.au/improve-public-administration/public-interest-disclosures