Introduction

This report summarises the information provided to us by agencies in respect of the voluntary public interest disclosures (PIDs) they received under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (NSW) (the Act) during the reporting period, as well as the activities of agencies to train staff and raise awareness of how to report wrongdoing.

The report also outlines how we have performed several key functions under the Act:

• providing information, advice, assistance and training to agencies and public officials about their obligations and rights under the Act
• publishing guidance and other materials to assist agencies and public officials
• auditing, monitoring and reporting on the compliance of agencies with their responsibilities under the Act.^[1]

The report includes an overview of the activities of the PID Steering Committee, which the NSW Ombudsman chairs.

Structure of this report

The report is structured as follows:

Part 1 briefly outlines the legislative framework for the PID scheme in NSW and describes our role under the Act.

Part 2 contains information relating to voluntary PIDs made to agencies during the reporting period.

Part 3 provides information about agencies’ adoption of the Act.

Part 4 provides an overview of the activities of my office during the reporting period. This includes the activities we have undertaken to fulfil our functions under the Act.

Part 5 provides an overview of the activities of the PID Steering Committee, including recommendations made to the Minister during the reporting period.

The Appendices report on agencies that failed to provide an annual return within the prescribed period and include a copy of a letter from the PID Steering Committee to the Special Minister of State recommending consideration be given to a range of legislative amendments.

Part 1 - Legislative framework

The Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022

The Act provides a framework for public officials to report serious wrongdoing relating to the NSW public sector. It protects persons from detriment or liability that might arise because of PIDs. 

Good government relies on public officials speaking up when they witness, or otherwise become aware of, wrongdoing. This helps to strengthen the integrity in the public sector.

An integral part of a ‘speak up’ culture is facilitating reporting of wrongdoing by:

• protecting those who speak up from detriment
• taking active steps to maintain the confidentiality of reports
• imposing duties on agencies who receive reports of wrongdoing to take appropriate action to investigate or otherwise deal with them.

Objects of the Act

The objects of the Act are to:

• facilitate the disclosure by public officials of serious wrongdoing in the public sector
• promote a culture in which PIDs are encouraged
• protect public officials and others from detriment or liability that might arise because of PIDs
• provide for the establishment and publication of policies and procedures for receiving and dealing with disclosures that are or may be voluntary PIDs
• ensure the interests of all persons affected by PIDs are considered when dealing with disclosures
• provide for independent oversight of the PID scheme established under the Act.^[2]

What does it mean for a report to be a PID?

When a public official makes a report of suspected or possible wrongdoing in the NSW public sector, their report will be a voluntary PID if it has certain features outlined in the Act.^[3] If an agency has received a report that is a PID, it is a PID from the time it is made, whether or not the agency recognises it as a PID. This is why it is important to have an effective assessment process in place to quickly identify a report as a PID.

Public Officials who make PIDs have certain protections under the Act, including:

• immunity from civil and criminal liability that may otherwise arise because they made the report^[4]
• protection from detrimental action, to ensure the maker of the PID does not suffer any disadvantage such as bullying, harassment or dismissal, as a result^[5]
• protection against information being disclosed that identifies or tends to identify the maker of the PID (unless the disclosure is permitted by the Act).^[6]

What is an agency?

The Act is concerned with reports of serious wrongdoing in or affecting the public sector. The concept of ‘agency’ is the central concept for what is considered the public sector in NSW.

PIDs are generally reports of serious wrongdoing made by ‘public officials’.^[7] Public officials are generally those employed in or by an agency, or who are otherwise in the service of an agency. To establish if the person is a public official, it is necessary to know whether an entity is an ‘agency’ for the Act.

The concept of agency is also important because PIDs are made to agencies, which have obligations to investigate or otherwise deal with them and to take other action. Agencies are required to support and protect the PID maker and to meet reporting obligations prescribed in the Act.

The definition of ‘agency’ under the Act is broad and includes NSW government departments, local government authorities, public universities, local Aboriginal land councils and integrity agencies.^[8]

Types of PIDs

There are 3 types of PIDs in the Act.

1. Voluntary PID — This is a report by a public official who decides, of their own accord, to disclose information about serious wrongdoing.^[9]
2. Mandatory PID — This is a PID where the public official reports serious wrongdoing because they have a legal obligation to make that report, or because making that report is an ordinary aspect of their role or function in an agency.^[10]
3. Witness PID — This is a PID where a person discloses information during an investigation of serious wrongdoing following a request or requirement of the investigator.^[11]

Agencies are not required to report mandatory and witness PIDs as part of their annual return under the Act. However, the protections in the Act for a person who makes a PID will generally apply to all 3 types of PIDs.

Obligations on agencies in relation to PIDs

Once an agency has received a PID, it will be subject to special obligations under the Act. For voluntary PIDs, agencies are required to:

• investigate or otherwise appropriately deal with the PID
• ensure that the identity of the person who has made the PID is not unlawfully revealed
• keep the maker of the PID informed about how their report is being dealt with and the outcome of any investigation
• provide information to our office about the report and how it was dealt with.

Serious wrongdoing

All PIDs must relate to serious wrongdoing (including a disclosure during an investigation of serious wrongdoing) in some way. Under the Act, ‘serious wrongdoing’ means one or more of the following:

• corrupt conduct
• serious maladministration
• a government information contravention
• a local government pecuniary interest contravention
• a privacy contravention
• a serious and substantial waste of public money.

Integrity Agencies

Integrity agencies have a particular role under the Act to receive voluntary PIDs, either directly from public officials or referred from another agency, and investigate or otherwise deal with then. An agency can also consult with an integrity agency about any proposed action to deal with a PID. The following are integrity agencies under the Act:

• the Ombudsman 
• the Auditor-General 
• the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) 
• the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission 
• the Inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption 
• the Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission 
• the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (when exercising functions under certain provisions of the Local Government Act 1993) 
• the Privacy Commissioner 
• the Information Commissioner.^[12] 

The role of the NSW Ombudsman

Our office has multiple roles under the Act.

As an ‘integrity agency’

The NSW Ombudsman is an integrity agency under the Act. As an integrity agency we can receive PIDs about any type of serious wrongdoing.

Our ordinary jurisdiction is the handling of complaints about maladministration, and the investigation of suspected maladministration. As such, we can investigate PIDs that we receive or that are referred to us which allege serious maladministration concerning agencies and public officials that are public authorities within our jurisdiction under the Ombudsman Act 1974.

If we receive a report relating to serious wrongdoing that we cannot deal with ourselves, we will refer it to the most relevant agency to deal with it. In many cases we will refer it to another integrity agency, or otherwise to the agency to which the report of serious wrongdoing relates.

As an ‘agency’

We are subject to the same obligations as other agencies, and our staff can make reports of serious wrongdoing and attract the protections under the Act. We have a PID Policy on our website that covers how we will deal with PIDs we receive, including PIDs that relate to us and those that relate to other agencies.

As the oversight agency

As the lead oversight agency for the Act, the Ombudsman’s functions also include:

• to promote public awareness and understanding of the Act, and to promote the objects of the Act
• to provide information, advice and assistance and training to agencies and public officials on matters relevant to the Act
• to publish guidelines and other materials for the assistance of:
  • agencies in connection with their functions under the Act, and
  • public officials and other persons in connection with the operation of this Act and the protections available to them under this Act
• to audit and monitor the exercise by agencies of their functions under the Act (other than integrity agencies in relation to disclosures that do not relate to the integrity agency)
• to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister about proposals for legislative and administrative change to further the objects of the Act.^[13]

We have a dedicated unit (the PID Unit) to support the exercise of our functions as the oversight agency under the Act. The PID Unit is operationally distinct from other branches of our office that support the exercise of our functions as an ‘agency’ and ‘integrity agency’.

Part 2 - Voluntary PIDs reported by agencies

Agency annual returns

Agencies have to provide the Ombudsman with an annual return, which must contain information prescribed by the Act and the Public Interest Disclosures Regulation 2022 (the Regulation).^[14]

An agency must provide an annual return to the Ombudsman for the 12 months ending on 30 June (the return period).^[15] The return period for this report is 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

A return has 2 parts:

1. Information about the voluntary PIDs the agency has received and/or dealt with in the return period. This data has been aggregated and is reported in this Part of the report.
2. Information about the measures they have taken during the return period to promote a culture in which PIDs are encouraged. We have provided information on compliance with this requirement in Part 3 of this report.

Agency returns must report the category of voluntary PIDs, which can be: Category 1 – voluntary PIDs relating to the agency A voluntary PID relates to an agency if the disclosure is about serious wrongdoing: by the agency by a public official associated with the agency, or that otherwise affects, or might affect, the exercise of the functions of the agency. Category 2 – other voluntary PIDs, received by, but not relating to, the agency These may include: voluntary PIDs relating to another agency but received by the reporting agency voluntary PIDs dealt with by the agency due to an arrangement made under the Act.[16]

An agency must provide information about each voluntary PID received or dealt with that year, including:

• how the agency received the disclosure
• the date on which the agency received the disclosure 
• the nature of the serious wrongdoing the disclosure was about 
• whether the disclosure was a purported PID^[17] 
• the relationship between the maker of the disclosure and the public official whose serious wrongdoing the disclosure was about
• whether the serious wrongdoing involved 1 or more public officials 
• action taken by the agency to deal with the disclosure, including the date on which the agency ceased to deal with the disclosure 
• if the agency investigated the serious wrongdoing—a description of the results of the investigation 
• the corrective action taken, proposed to be taken or recommended to be taken by the agency.

An agency also has to include information about purported PIDs that were assessed as not being PIDs: 

• the number of the disclosures received by the agency during the return period 
• the number of the disclosures that were made by public officials 
• the reasons the agency did not deal with, or ceased dealing with, each disclosure as a PID. 

Data limitations

Different length reporting periods

Because the Act commenced in October 2023, the 2023–24 report was the first under the current PID scheme. However, it only covered a 9-month period. This Report for 2024–25 is therefore the first report under the Act to include a full year of data.

Despite this difference, we still report the two data sets alongside one another.

Data only relates to voluntary PIDs

An agency is only required to report on voluntary PIDs they receive and deal with during the return period. No reporting is required about disclosures that are mandatory or witness PIDs. Mandatory PIDs include:

• reports of suspected misconduct or serious maladministration by police officers that are made by police officers and administrative staff under section 211F of the Police Act 1990, and
• reports of suspected corrupt conduct made by heads of agency and Ministers of the Crown to the Independent Commission Against Corruption under section 11 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988.

Multiple reports for same instances of voluntary PIDs due to referrals between agencies

When a voluntary PID is received by one agency and then referred to another, the second agency will also have ‘received’ the PID. Consequently, both agencies will report the voluntary PID in their annual returns. This means that the number of voluntary PIDs received exceeds the number of ‘original’ voluntary PIDs made.

While there are several data comparisons that can assist in identifying these instances of duplicate reporting, there is some uncertainty where and when voluntary PIDs have been referred. For example, the data provided by agencies about the number PIDs they referred to an integrity agency does not always accord with the data provided by the integrity agency about the PIDs it received on referral from that agency. We will be speaking with the agencies that reported referring disclosures to try to better understand how and when referrals are made. This will help us assess how we can identify, with greater confidence, these matters in future years.

Multiple reports for same instances of voluntary PIDs due to the same PID being made to multiple agencies

Over-reporting of unique voluntary PIDs will also arise where a PID maker makes a disclosure to multiple agencies, each of which will report that they have received a PID in their annual return.

In some cases, this is appropriate – for example if a PID is made to an agency, and the person is not satisfied with how it has been dealt with, they may choose to make a PID to an integrity agency. In that case, even though the substantive allegations made in both PID may be the same, it is appropriate to record that 2 PIDs have been made.

However, where a person simultaneously sends a PID to multiple recipients (for example, an email sent to both an agency and an integrity agency), reporting that 2 PIDs have been made arguably overstates the real number of ‘unique’ voluntary PIDs made in the reporting period.

We continue to explore ways to capture information to enable us to provide a more accurate estimate of the number of unique voluntary PIDs dealt with under the Act, including so that comparisons may be made between reporting periods. This will hopefully help to address both of the issues identified above relating to multiple reports.

One option we are considering is whether it may be feasible to centrally allocate a unique identifier to each PID at the time it is received. This would allow the PID to remain unique despite any referrals to other agencies or to integrity agencies. It would also mean that a PID sent to multiple agencies could also be allocated a linked identifier so that, when we report on annual returns, these can be reconciled and ‘counted’ as a single unique voluntary PID. Of course, that would only work if the fact that the PID has been made to multiple agencies is visible to those agencies at the time, or at least becomes known at a later point in time.

A process like this, or other changes to the information required to be provided to us in an annual return, will require legislative or regulatory amendment, which we will continue to explore with the Government.

Voluntary PIDs included in multiple return periods

An agency may deal with a voluntary PID across more than one return period. These PIDs have to be included in the agency’s annual return for each period. For example, if a voluntary PID was received in 2023–24 and the matter finalised in 2024–25, the voluntary PID is reported in both return periods. We have identified several voluntary PIDs that were reported as ongoing^[18] in the 2023–24 return period but were not included in the 2024–25 reports. We will continue to work with agencies to increase understanding on their reporting obligations.

Number of agencies in 2024–25

In 2024–25 we identified 1,285 public sector entities as agencies under the Act. Of these:

• 606 are referred to as the ‘general cohort’ (represented in Figure 1 below)
• 564 agencies are Statutory Land Managers^[19] (SLMs)
• 115 are Common Trusts (CTs).^[20]

We asked agencies to identify their category of agency listed in the Act. We broke down some of these categories to present the data in a form that provides a better picture of the distribution of PIDs.

The agency types we use in the report are:

• Public Service Agency
• NSW Health Service (including Ministry of Health)
• Local Government Authority
• A statutory body representing the Crown
• University
• State owned corporation or a subsidiary (under the State Owned Corporations Act 1989)
• Integrity agency
• Parliamentary departments
• Local Aboriginal Land Council
• NSW Police Force
• Public authority which can be investigated or audited by an integrity agency.

The agency group ‘Public Service Agency’ includes a wide range of agencies largely made up of government departments listed in Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act).

The ‘University’ group includes the 10 universities established by NSW legislation, as well as 59 organisations that are linked or affiliated with a university^[21] that are agencies under the Act.

The ‘Public authority which can be investigated or audited by an integrity agency’ group are those agencies that do not fall within any other category.

For this report, we have excluded SLMs and CTs from much of our reporting and analysis and only report on the general cohort. We have done this because the SLMs and CTs did not submit an annual return for the 2024–25 return period (see Appendix A) and including them will not provide meaningful data.

Number of annual returns submitted in 2024–25

578 agencies (45% of all 1,285 agencies) submitted an annual return in 2024–25.

Of these:

• 578 of the 606 (95%) from the ‘general cohort’ submitted an annual return
• none of the 564 (0%) SLMs submitted an annual return
• none of the 115 (0%) CTs submitted an annual return.

Of the 606 agencies in the general cohort, 28 agencies did not provide us with an annual return (<5%). This is explained further in Appendix A.

Agency types

1. The largest group of agencies (146, 25%) was local government authorities. This was followed by statutory bodies representing the Crown (116, 20%) and Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) (95, 16%).

The proportion of annual return submissions for each agency type is largely consistent across 2023–24, with an encouraging increase of 10% from LALCs.

Figure 1. Agency types  

Annual return submissions by agency type (n=578)

Arrangements with other agencies

An agency can enter into an agreement for another agency to exercise that agency’s functions under the Act, which can include submitting their annual return.^[22]

181 agencies (31% of the 578 agencies that submitted an annual return) reported they had entered into an arrangement with another agency to submit the annual return on their behalf. The breakdown of these agency types is provided in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Annual returns made under section 81 arrangement (n=181)

Voluntary public interest disclosures

In this report, we refer to ‘voluntary PIDs received’ and ‘voluntary PIDs reported’. ‘Voluntary PIDs received’ include only those PIDs that were received in 2024–25. ‘Voluntary PIDs reported’ include both those received in 2024–25 and those that were received in 2023–24 but were dealt with in 2024–25.

Number of voluntary PIDs reported

This is the first report under the current PID scheme that includes voluntary PIDs that were received in a previous reporting period. In 2024–25, 1,829 voluntary PIDs were reported as having been received or dealt with by agencies in the return period. Of these, 529 (29%) were received in the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 and carried over into the 2024–25 return period, represented in Figure 3.

Number of voluntary PIDs received

Figure 3 compares the number of all voluntary PIDs received in the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 and 2024–25.

Figure 3. Number of voluntary PIDs received by agency type 

2023–24 (n=1,330) and 2024–25 (n=1,300)

Most voluntary PIDs in 2024–25 were received by integrity agencies 502 (39%). Public service agencies received 370 (28%), followed by NSW Health Services at 139 (11%). These 3 agency types received 78% of all voluntary PIDs.

In the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24, public service agencies reported receiving the most voluntary PIDs (412, 31%), followed by integrity agencies (351, 26%).

Most agency types reported an increase in voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25, with the exception of public service agencies, statutory bodies representing the Crown and the NSW Police Force. Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Parliamentary Departments did not report any voluntary PIDs in 2024–25.

Statutory bodies representing the Crown reported the greatest reduction in the number of voluntary PIDs they reported compared to 2023–24. This appears to be due to a group of agencies who told us that, in 2023–24 when the Act first commenced, they had been applying a very low threshold to the matters they classified and reported as being voluntary PIDs, but that they have since become more confident in identifying what is and is not a PID.

Table 1 provides a list of the agencies that reported receiving more than 10 voluntary PIDs in 2024–25. It does not include integrity agencies. Table 2 lists the number of voluntary PIDs received by integrity agencies.

1. That an agency reports a higher number of voluntary PIDs than other agencies should not necessarily be taken as suggesting problems within that agency. This is because:

• Agencies can receive PIDs both about its own officials, as well as those of other agencies. For example, as a central agency, The Cabinet Office may be expected to receive PIDs raising concerns about other agencies, and not just about itself.
• Some agencies are obviously much larger than others.
• High reporting may reflect an agency culture where staff in those agencies are more confident to speak up and understand how to do so. It can also show that an agency is identifying and handling matters correctly under the Act.

Table 1. Agencies that received more than 10 voluntary PIDs in 2024–25

Agency	Number
Department of Education	72
Department of Customer Service	64
Transport for NSW	59
South Western Sydney Local Health District	58
Fire and Rescue NSW	40
Sydney Water	34
TAFE NSW	34
The University of Sydney	31
University of NSW	29
Department of Communities and Justice	25
Sydney Trains	17
Ministry of Health	17
Sydney Local Health District	15
Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport	15
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water	14
Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure	12
University of Wollongong	12
The Cabinet Office	11
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development	11
Mid North Coast Local Health District	11

Table 2. Number of voluntary PIDs received by integrity agencies in 2024–25

Integrity agency	Number
Independent Commission Against Corruption	284
NSW Ombudsman	85
Office of Local Government	64
Law Enforcement Conduct Commission	45
Audit Office of NSW	11
Privacy Commissioner	8
Information Commissioner	3
Office of the Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission	2
Total	502

Voluntary PIDs received by agency size

Figure 4 below shows the number of voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25 compared to the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 by size of agency based on full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

Most agencies (172, 30%) reported having between 101 and 1,000 FTE employees. These agencies reported receiving 599 voluntary PIDs (46% of all voluntary PIDs) in 2024–25. Of these 599 voluntary PIDs, 489 (82%) were reported by integrity agencies. The 12 agencies with more than 10,000 FTE reported 268 (21%) of the voluntary PIDs across the sector.

There has been a significant reduction in the number of voluntary PIDs reported to agencies with over 10,000 FTE employees and an increase in voluntary PIDs received by agencies with 101-1,000 FTE employees.

Figure 4. Voluntary PIDs by size of agency (FTE employees) in 2023–24 (n=1,330) and 2024–25 (n=1,300)

Categories of voluntary PIDs received

Agencies must separate voluntary PIDs into two categories and report separately on each category.^[23] These categories, as detailed earlier in this report, are:

• Category 1 – voluntary PIDs relating to the agency
• Category 2 – all other voluntary PIDs.

Of the 1,300 voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25, 729 (56%) were reported as a Category 1 and 571 (44%) as Category 2.  

Figure 5. Category 1 and Category 2 voluntary PIDs in 2023–24 (n=1,330) and 2024–25 (n=1,300)

Most agencies reported more Category 1 voluntary PIDs, with the exception of integrity agencies, which reported 496 (99%) of all voluntary PIDs received by them as Category 2, and only 6 as Category 1.

How voluntary PIDs were received

Agencies must report how they received each voluntary PID. In 2024–25 agencies reported most voluntary PIDs were received by email (51%), with 30% through an online platform. Only 3% were received by post.

Table 3. Voluntary PID mode of submission (n=1300)

How agency received voluntary PID	2024–25
Email	667 (51%)
Online platform (including app or QR code)	387 (30%)
Phone (including video call)	118 (9%)
In-person	85 (7%)
Post	43 (3%)

Recipients of voluntary PIDs

Of the 1,300 voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25, agencies reported most (870 or 67%) were received by a disclosure officer for an agency (other than the head of agency or manager), a 7 percentage point increase compared to the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.

Table 4. Recipients of voluntary PIDs in 2023–24 and 2024–25 (excluding integrity agencies)

Recipient	2023–24 (n=1,013)	2024–25 (n=798)
The head of an agency	80 (8%)	51 (6%)
A manager of the person making the disclosure	50 (5%)	123 (15%)
Disclosure officer for an agency (other than head of agency or manager)	739 (73%)	520 (66%)
Sent to the agency’s registered address, email address, or other usual address and not addressed to any specific individual[24]	133 (13%)	95 (12%)
Subject to section 24(3)(c) – a Minister or a member of a Minister’s staff	11 (1%)	9 (1%)

Table 5 shows the recipients for 502 voluntary PIDs made directly to integrity agencies in 2023–24 and 2024–25.

Table 5. Recipients of voluntary PIDs at integrity agencies in 2023–24 and 2024–25

Recipient	2023–24 (n=317)	2024–25 (n=502)
The head of an agency	12 (4%)	25 (5%)
Disclosure officer for an agency (other than head of agency or manager)	57 (18%)	350 (70%)
Sent to the agency’s registered address, email address, or other usual address and not addressed to any specific individual[25]	248 (78%)	125 (25%)
Subject to section 24(3)(c) – a Minister or a member of a Minister’s staff	0	2 (<1%)

Voluntary PIDs reported directly to the head of an agency or not addressed to a specific individual but sent to the agency’s registered address, email address or other usual address (thereby taken to be made to the head of agency) comprised 296 (23%) of all voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25. This represents a 13 percentage point decrease from that reported in the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.

Anonymous PIDs

Under the Act, a disclosure is ‘anonymous’ only if, after considering the circumstances of the PID and any material related to it, it is determined that there is no reasonable or practical way of communicating with the PID maker.^[26]

This means that a PID made by a person who does not disclose their identity is not an ‘anonymous’ PID under the Act if the person has provided a means by which they could be contacted (for example an email address using a pseudonym).

Agencies reported that 347 (27%) disclosures were anonymous in 2024–25, which is similar to the 9‑month reporting period of 2023–24, where 30% of voluntary PIDs were anonymous.

Figure 6. Anonymous voluntary PIDs received

2023–24 (n=1,325)^[27] and 2024–25 (n=1,300)

For the 2024–25 return period, we asked agencies to tell us if the PID maker disclosed their identity and provided a practical method of contact. The breakdown of this information is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. PID makers disclosing their identity and contact details in 2024–25 (n=1,300)

Voluntary PIDs received that were also purported PIDs

288 (22%) voluntary PIDs received were also reported as being purported PIDs. This means that in addition to having the features of a voluntary PID, the PID maker said that they were making a PID.

This reflects a 2 percentage point decrease from that reported in the 9-month reporting period of
2023–24, when 24% of voluntary PIDs were also reported to be a purported PID.

Figure 8. Voluntary PIDs that were also purported PIDs

Number of public officials alleged to be involved in serious wrongdoing

For each voluntary PID, agencies have to report whether the serious wrongdoing involved one public official or more than one public official, and, if applicable, the relationship between the maker of the disclosure and the public official alleged to have engaged in serious wrongdoing.

692 (53%) voluntary PIDs alleged there was one public official involved and 608 (47%) involved more than one public official. There has been a 5 percentage point increase in reports about more than one public official from the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 to 2024–25.

Figure 9. Voluntary PIDs by number of public officials alleged to be involved in serious wrongdoing

We asked agencies to provide a further breakdown of the number of public officials alleged to be involved in serious wrongdoing.

As noted above, 608 voluntary PIDs were received where allegations were raised against more than one public official. In 437 of those, the agencies also reported the actual number of public officials against whom allegations were made (see Figure 10). In 35 voluntary PIDs (3% of all voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25) wrongdoing was alleged against more than 10 public officials. A further 3% alleged serious wrongdoing by between 6 and 10 public officials.

Figure 10. Voluntary PIDs in 2024–25 with more than one public official alleged to be involved in serious wrongdoing (n=437) 

Relationship between the maker of the disclosure and the public official 

Agencies are required to report on the relationship between the maker of the disclosure and the public official whose alleged serious wrongdoing the disclosure is about. In 2024–25, 1,548 relationships were reported by agencies. A voluntary PID may involve more than one public official, which can mean more than one relationship category may apply to a voluntary PID.

Agencies reported the relationship between the person who made the voluntary PID and the public official who the report was about was either unknown or not disclosed in 34%^[28] of the voluntary PIDs received in 2024–25.

The largest proportion of voluntary PIDs where the relationship was known was coworkers (35%). Coworkers do not include immediate supervisors and direct reports. 330 (25%) reports were about an immediate supervisor or direct report and 128 (10%) were about a senior executive (other than an immediate supervisor or direct report).

Figure 11 shows the relationship between those who made voluntary PIDs and those the subject of the PIDs.

Figure 11. Relationship between the PID maker and public official(s) subject of the PID in 2024–25 (n=1,548)

Nature of alleged serious wrongdoing

The Act defines serious wrongdoing as one or more of the following: 

• corrupt conduct 
• serious maladministration 
• a government information contravention 
• a privacy contravention
• a serious and substantial waste of public money, and 
• a local government pecuniary interest contravention.^[29] 

Allegations of serious wrongdoing may relate to more than one category of serious wrongdoing.

Agencies are required to identify all categories of serious wrongdoing to which a voluntary PID relates.

In our 2023–24 annual oversight report, we noted that agencies appeared to have only reported the most obvious or prominent category, or the category that the PID maker identified. For the 2024–25 return period, we provided additional guidance to agencies aimed at ensuring we can report on all categories of serious wrongdoing alleged in voluntary PIDs. Agencies reported 147 (11%) voluntary PIDs involved multiple categories of serious wrongdoing.

Table 6 provides a breakdown of the top 5 combinations of serious wrongdoing compared to the 9‑month reporting period of 2023–24.

Table 6. Voluntary PIDs containing more than 1 type of serious wrongdoing – top 5 combinations^[30]

Type of serious wrongdoing reported	Number of voluntary PIDs
	2023–24	2024–25
Corrupt conduct [and] Serious maladministration	85	78
Corrupt conduct [and] Serious maladministration [and] A serious and substantial waste of public money	16	20
Corrupt conduct [and] A serious and substantial waste of public money	50	19
Serious maladministration [and] A serious and substantial waste of public money	20	12
Corrupt conduct [and] A privacy contravention	7	4

In 2024–25, the majority of voluntary PIDs reported allegations of corrupt conduct (73%) – an increase of 3 percentage points from the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24. The second most common type of serious wrongdoing reported was serious maladministration at 26% of voluntary PIDs, down by 3 percentage points from that reported in 2023–24. Figure 12 shows a summary of the allegations of serious wrongdoing identified by category and a comparison between the two return periods.

Figure 12. Type of serious wrongdoing reported in voluntary PID received 2023–24 and 2024–25^[31]

Integrity agencies reported receiving 38% and public service agencies 28% of all serious wrongdoing. Figure 13 provides a breakdown of the type of serious wrongdoing reported for these two agency groups.

Figure 13. Type of serious wrongdoing reported as being received by integrity agencies and public service agencies

Referrals made to an integrity agency during the PID process 

In most cases, voluntary PIDs were referred to an integrity agency whose ordinary jurisdiction includes handling allegations about the relevant category of serious wrongdoing. Agencies reported making 403 referrals to integrity agencies in relation to 360 voluntary PIDs while they were handling the PIDs. This is distinct from the referrals at finalisation that are included from page 31.

Of the referrals made while voluntary PIDs were being handled:

• 308 (76%) referrals were reported as made to the ICAC, 264 (86%) of which reported alleged corrupt conduct
• 26 (7%) referrals were reported as made to the Ombudsman, of which 17 (65%) were reports of serious maladministration.

A referral was made to more than one integrity agency for 47 (13%) voluntary PIDs referred. It is not immediately clear what form these referrals have taken, and in some cases these may have been reports of suspected corrupt conduct under section 11 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (ICAC Act) rather than referrals made under the Act.

Section 11 of the ICAC Act imposes a duty on heads of agency to report to the ICAC any matter that may concern corrupt conduct. If a PID is received by an agency, and a report is made under section 11 of the ICAC Act to ICAC, that is not necessarily a referral of the PID to ICAC in accordance with the PID Act. However, in some cases it appears that some agencies may have mistakenly assumed and/or reported to us, that they had referred the PID to the ICAC in circumstances where they had merely made a report under section 11. This may also explain why there appears to be a significant disparity in some cases between the number of PIDs that some agencies say they referred to the ICAC, and the number of PIDs that the ICAC says it received on referral from that agency.

We will follow up with agencies and the ICAC to better understand what agencies are listing as referrals in their annual returns to our office.

Table 7. Referrals made to integrity agencies during the PID process in 2024–25^[32] (n=403)

Referrals made to integrity agencies	Number of referrals
Independent Commission Against Corruption	308
Privacy Commissioner	28
Ombudsman	26
Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (the Office of Local Government)	19
Auditor-General	11
Law Enforcement Conduct Commission	6
Information Commissioner	4
Inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption	1
Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission	0

In 2023–24 and 2024–25, most referrals were made to the ICAC. Figure 14 shows a summary of referrals made to integrity agencies and a comparison between the two return periods.

Referrals made to the ICAC in 2023–24 comprised 69% of the total 159 referrals made to integrity agencies. The number of referrals to the ICAC has almost tripled over the 9-month period in 2023–24. In 2024–25, 308 of the 403 (76%) referrals made to integrity agencies were made to the ICAC. This represents a 7 percentage point increase compared to the 9-month reporting period in 2023–24.

Figure 14. Referrals made to integrity agencies during the PID process in 2023–24 and 2024–25

Referrals made to the Privacy Commissioner increased from 2 in the 9-month reporting period of
2023–24 to 28 in 2024–25. 25 (89%) of these referrals made to the Privacy Commissioner came from one type of agency. While the number of referrals made to the Ombudsman were identical over the two return periods, as a percentage of total referrals relative to the return periods – referrals decreased by 9 percentage points from the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.^[33]

Voluntary PIDs received from another agency

Agencies reported 319 (17%) voluntary PIDs were referred to them from another agency. 190 (60%) of these were referred from an integrity agency.

Table 8. Voluntary PIDs referred from another agency – by agency type

Referring agency by type	2023–24 (n=180)		2024–25 (n=319)
Integrity agency	118	66%	190	60%
Local government authority	29	16%	66	21%
Public service agency	19	11%	32	10%
NSW Health Service	6	3%	16	5%
Statutory body representing the crown	4	2%	7	2%
Public authority which can be investigated or audited by an integrity agency	1	<1%	3	1%
State owned corporation or its subsidiary	0	--	1	<1%
University	0	--	1	<1%
NSW Police Force	1	<1%	1	<1%
Parliamentary Departments	1	<1%	0	--
Local Aboriginal Land Council	1	<1%	0	--
Referring agency name not provided	0	--	2	1%

Further work on referrals

There are a number of aspects of the data relating to referrals that are not consistent. As noted above, this may be due to a misunderstanding of the difference between a section 11 report under the ICAC Act (discussed in detail above) and voluntary PID referrals under the PID Act. We have reported the numbers as they were reported to us and will work with agencies to better understand how referrals are being made. This will help to more accurately track the “lifecycle” of voluntary PIDs and as a result better understand how voluntary PIDs are being handled.

Action taken to deal with voluntary PIDs

Agencies have to tell us how they have dealt with voluntary PIDs during the return period, including: 

• any action taken by the agency to deal with the disclosure, including the date on which the agency ceased to deal with the disclosure (more than one action can be taken for each voluntary PID)
• if the agency investigated the serious wrongdoing—a description of the results of the investigation 
• if applicable — the corrective action taken, proposed to be taken or recommended to be taken by the agency. 

This section of the report relates to all voluntary PIDs reported. This includes those received and those carried forward from 2023–24. There were 1,829 voluntary PIDs reported in 2024–25.

Action taken on finalised voluntary PIDs – all agencies

Of the 1,128 voluntary PIDs finalised in 2024–25, 648 (57%) were reported as having been investigated and 352 (31% of all finalisations) were referred to another agency. This is an increase on the 9‑month reporting period of 2023–24, when 401 (55%) finalised voluntary PIDs were investigated and 116 (16% of finalisations) were referred. As noted above on page 28, some of the matters listed as referred to integrity agencies may have been reports under section 11 of the ICAC Act. We will follow up with agencies and the ICAC about this as part of our monitoring role under the Act.

Analysis of voluntary PIDs referred to another agency appears later in this section.

Figure 15. Action taken by agencies for voluntary PIDs finalised in 2024–25^[34] (n=1,336)

Action taken on finalised voluntary PIDs – integrity agencies only

Integrity agencies finalised 450 voluntary PIDs (40% of all PIDs finalised), of which:

• 76 (17%) were dealt pursuant to section 56(2)^[35] of the Act, a 57 percentage point decrease compared to the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24
• 176 (39%) involved the integrity agency deciding neither to investigate nor refer the disclosure.^[36]

Integrity agencies made 210 referrals in relation to 177 voluntary PIDs finalised, of which 122 (58%) were made to the agency to which the disclosure relates. Refer to Figure 16 below.

Figure 16. Action taken by integrity agencies for voluntary PIDs finalised in 2024–25^[37] (n=530)

Action taken on finalised voluntary PIDs – excluding integrity agencies

678 (60%) finalised voluntary PIDs were finalised by agencies other than integrity agencies in 2024–25. Of these, 588 (86%) were investigated. This is 17 percentage points higher than the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 when 69% of finalised voluntary PIDs were reported as investigated. In 14 (2%) cases the agency reported they neither investigated the serious wrongdoing nor referred the disclosure.

In 2024–25, agencies other than integrity agencies made 191 referrals in relation to 175 finalised voluntary PIDs – see Figure 17.

Figure 17. Action taken by agencies (excluding integrity agencies) for voluntary PIDs finalised in 2024–25^[38] (n=806)

140 referrals were made to an integrity agency in 2024–25, compared to 8 referrals in the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24 – see Figure 18. Of these, most were referred by public service agencies (57, 41%). NSW Health agencies made 39 referrals (28%) followed by local councils with 24 (17%). The remaining 14% of referrals were made by universities, statutory bodies representing the Crown and two were referred by the NSW Police Force.

Figure 18. Referrals made to an integrity agency for voluntary PIDs finalised

Voluntary PIDs referred

Referrals under the Act can be made to: 

• an integrity agency   
• a person or body authorised by another Act or law to investigate the serious wrongdoing 
• another agency pursuant to an arrangement under section 81(2) of the Act
• an entity pursuant to an arrangement under section 81(3)(b) of the Act
• another agency to which the disclosure relates.^[39]  

Findings of serious wrongdoing

Serious wrongdoing was found in 146 matters following investigation. This is an 80% increase from the 81 matters reported in the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.

Corrective action taken

An agency must take corrective action if the outcome of an investigation results in a finding that serious wrongdoing or other misconduct occurred.^[40] Corrective action can include:

• an action under section 69(4) of the GSE Act, such as the issuing of a caution or reprimand, a demotion or a termination of employment
• an action authorised by the law procedures or policies which allowed the serious wrongdoing to be investigated
• issuing a formal apology
• reform within the agency, such as additional training and education
• publishing findings of serious wrongdoing or other misconduct and a report in support of the finding
• paying compensation to people affected by the serious wrongdoing or other misconduct.

Agencies are required to report on the corrective action taken, proposed to be taken, or recommended to be taken by the agency. An agency can take multiple forms of corrective action in relation to a single voluntary PID.

164 instances of corrective action were taken in relation to 146 voluntary PIDs.^[41]

Corrective action pursuant to section 69(4) of the GSE Act was reported in relation to 39 voluntary PIDs. This was 24% of all corrective action reported. This is similar to the 9-month reporting period of
2023–24, when it was 23% of corrective action taken. Training and education were reported in relation to 24 (15%) instances of corrective action, with improvements to procedure or policy taken in relation to 29 (18%).

Table 9. Corrective action taken by agencies in 2023–24 and 2024–25

Corrective action taken by agencies	2023–24	2024–25
An action authorised by law, procedure or policy in accordance with which serious wrongdoing is investigated	17	54
An action specified in section 69(4) of the GSE Act	37	39
Reform – improvements to policies or procedures	29	29
Reform – training or education	30	24
Reform – structural change	1	0
Reform – reallocation of resources	3	0
Formal apology by an agency	0	3
Payment of compensation	2	2
Publication of finding of serious wrongdoing or other misconduct	18	1
Other (including no response)	21	12
Total	158	164

Agencies also reported corrective action in relation to 5 voluntary PIDs that were yet to be finalised. Improvements to procedure or policy were reported in respect of 4 of the 5 matters.

Purported PIDs that were not voluntary PIDs

A purported PID is a disclosure that:  

• complies with section 27 [report made to a permissible recipient of a PID under the Act]; and 
• is not a mandatory PID or a witness PID, and  
• the maker of the disclosure says is a PID, whether or not it is in fact a PID. 

There is some confusion about purported PIDs. This may have impacted on the accuracy of returns.

An agency is required to include the following information about purported PIDs that were not in fact PIDs in their annual returns from some agencies this year: 

• the number of the purported disclosures received by the agency during the return period 
• the number of the purported disclosures that were made by public officials 
• the reasons the agency did not deal with, or ceased dealing with, each of the purported disclosures as a public interest disclosure. 

In 2024–25, agencies reported a total of 270 purported PIDs that were not in fact PIDs. 232 (86%) were made by public officials and 38 (14%) by individuals who were not public officials.

Agencies told us they were not voluntary PIDs because:^[42] 

• the disclosure was not made by a public official (29)
• the disclosure was not a report of serious wrongdoing (225)
• the disclosure was not made by a public official and not a report about serious wrongdoing (38).

Table 10. Reasons for not dealing with purported PIDs as a voluntary PID  

Reason for NOT dealing with purported PID as PID disclosure	Number of purported PIDs relative to reason
	2023–24 (n=162)	2024–25 (n=292)
Not made by a public official	14		29
Not a report of serious wrongdoing	94		225
Not made by a public official and not a report about serious wrongdoing	54		38

We asked agencies to select the best response on the basis of the information before them. The total number of purported PIDs reported in 2024–25 by agency type is presented in Figure 19.

Figure 19. Total number of purported PIDs by agency type (n=270)

Part 3 - Agencies’ adoption of the Act

Promoting a speak up culture

One of the objects of the Act is to promote a culture in which PIDs are encouraged.[43] Agencies are required to include information in their annual return about what they have done to promote a culture in which PIDs are encouraged.

In 2024–25, 493 agencies (85%) reported taking some measures to promote a ‘speak up’ culture, with most agencies reporting taking more than one type of measure (see Figure 20).

39 agencies reported taking no specific measures to promote a speak up culture during the reporting period.

Figure 20. How agencies promoted a ‘speak up’ culture (2024–25)

Of the 112 responses where an agency reported they had taken ‘other measures’, 47 (42%) provided additional detail. These measures included:

• providing staff with multiple pathways to report wrongdoing
• development of ‘speak up’ campaigns or activities as part of PID awareness week
• integrated PID content into other focused training packages (ethics, fraud, corruption, work health and safety, code of conduct or induction)
• bespoke PID promotional materials (signature blocks, screensavers, posters, pamphlets)
• questionnaires or staff surveys
• PID promotion or presentations by external or internal leaders.

Awareness

Agencies must ensure all public officials associated with the agency are made aware of: how to make a voluntary PID the agency’s PID policy, and that they may be entitled to take action if dissatisfied with how the voluntary PID was dealt with.

Of the 578 agencies that submitted an annual return, 491 (85%) reported that they had done something to raise awareness among their staff during the reporting period. This is 10 percentage points lower than the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.

The most common methods used for raising awareness were:

• distributing and making PID resources readily available (63%)
• discussions at agency/branch/division/team meetings (15%)^[44]
• including PID awareness in existing training sessions – e.g. induction or ethics training (13%).

These activities were largely the same as those identified in annual returns in 2023–24.

Agencies also reported on the type of awareness activities undertaken (see Figure 21). The 3 most common awareness activity types were:

• publishing a link to the internal reporting policy on the agency’s intranet
• providing training or information sessions to staff that include information about the Act – e.g. inductions and e-learning modules
• having internal policies that include information about the Act.

From the 2023–24 return period, agencies reported a 13 percentage point increase in readily available resources and PID materials (mostly related to internal policies).

Figure 21. Agency PID awareness activities (2024–25)

108 agencies (19%) reported they had undertaken awareness activities that we had not included as options for them to select. We will consider including these as options in future annual returns. Figure 22 outlines some additional awareness activities in categories.^[45]

35 of the 108 agencies (32%) reported that PID content was also included in the mandatory training the agency provides to their employees.^[46]

21 of the 108 agencies (19%) reported they have commenced developing awareness activities but had not implemented them during the reporting period. The predominant reason reported for not doing so was that the agency only recently entered into arrangements pursuant to section 81 for some (or all) of its functions.

Figure 22. Additional PID awareness activities undertaken by agencies (as reported) (2024–25)

Training

An agency must train the following people on their responsibilities under the Act: the head of the agency a disclosure officer for the agency a manager of a public official associated with the agency.[47] Each of these groups needs to be trained within the first 3 months they are in the role.

425 (74%) agencies reported that their head of agency, all disclosure officers, and/or all managers received training on the agency’s PID policy and on their responsibilities under the Act. This represents an 11 percentage point decrease from the 9-month reporting period of 2023–24.

79 (14%) agencies indicated that none of the staff in these roles had received training during the return period, a single percentage point decrease.

Across all agencies, the compliance rate of the provision of PID training to persons in the following roles were reported to be:

• 83% of heads of agency
• 76% of disclosure officers
• 68% of managers.

This is a 9 percentage point increase from 2023–24 in the training of both the disclosure officers and managers groups with heads of agency remaining at 83%.

Agencies are conducting more training, but the overall percentage of agencies with full compliance (i.e. all persons with a role under the Act were trained) dropped by 11 percentage points.

Figure 23. PID training levels (2024–25)

76% of agencies indicated they included content about the Act in their induction training, an increase of 3 percentage points over the 9-month reporting period in 2023–24. This would mean that most new staff have undertaken some form of PID training, regardless of role.

Audit and monitoring activity

One of our roles is to audit and monitor how agencies exercise their functions under the Act.  

Self-assessment audit

During 2024–25 we conducted two voluntary self-assessment audits in 2024 and 2025:

• The first self-assessment was issued to 597 agencies in July 2024. 542 agencies (91%) completed the first audit.
• The second self-assessment was issued to 580 agencies in April 2025. 496 agencies (86%) completed the second audit.^[48]

Agency responses suggest there had been improvements in PID processes and an increase in staff receiving training on their responsibilities under the Act.

The audit results will inform our future engagement, training, advice, audit and monitoring work to support improved understanding of – and compliance with – the Act by agencies.

We intend reporting on the outcome of the self-assessment audits in a separate audit report in December 2025.

Desktop audits

Agency arrangements under section 81 of the Act

The Act allows an agency to enter into an agreement for another agency to exercise some or all of its functions on its behalf. Agencies can also arrange for entities (which are not agencies) to exercise the following functions:

• receiving voluntary PIDs
• dealing with voluntary PIDs by investigating relevant serious wrongdoing
• providing training.

Agencies are required to notify the Ombudsman of any such arrangements.^[49] They are also required to prominently publish the details of the arrangement the agency’s public website and the agency’s intranet (if an agency has them).^[50]

During the reporting period, we received 148 notifications that an agency had entered into an arrangement with another agency or entity. We reviewed the websites of these agencies to ensure they complied with the publication requirement in section 81(4) of the Act.

We found 90 (61%) of the 148 agency arrangements entered into were not published on the agency’s website. We contacted each agency, and all now have the agreement on their website. Agencies that had an active intranet advised they had also published the arrangement on this site.

PID policies

The Act provides that all agencies must have a PID policy.^[51] The Act also sets out the mandatory information which must be included in a PID policy, and requires the PID policy to be prominently published on the agency’s public website and intranet if the agency has them.^[52]

This year we conducted 203 desktop audits to assess agency compliance with the PID policy requirements. This included checking if:  

• agencies have a PID policy in place
• the PID policy contains all mandatory information required under the Act, and
• the PID policy complies with the publication requirements. 

Table 11 shows the outcome of the desktop audit.

Table 11. PID policy audit outcome by agency type

Agency type – section 16 of the Act	Desktop audits	Policy published	Public website but policy not published	No public website
Local government authority[53]	51	36	15	0
Statutory body representing the Crown	42	19	19	4
Public authority whose conduct or activities an integrity agency is authorised by another Act or law to investigate or audit	35	13	20	2
Local Aboriginal Land Council	28	0	11	17
Public service agency	19	13	6	0
NSW Health Service	19	9	10	0
Parliamentary Department	3	3	0	0
State-owned corporation or subsidiary of a State-owned corporation	3	2	1	0
Integrity agency	2	2	0	0
NSW Police Force	1	1	0	0
Total	203	98	82	23

Of the 203 agencies audited, only 98 (48%) had a PID policy published on their website. Of the remainder, 82 (40%) had a website but had not published their policy on it, while 23 (11%) appeared to not have a website at all.

Of the agencies that did publish their PID policy, 77 of those policies met the content requirements of the Act.

This means that only 38% of the agencies that were subject to the desktop audit complied with both the content and publication requirements of the Act in respect of their PID policies.

For those agencies with a PID policy published on a public website where the contents of the policy did not meet the requirements set out in section 43 of the Act, we identified 88 areas for improvement. These are listed in Table 12.

Table 12. PID policies – information gaps

Details of information gaps in PID policies	Number
Acknowledging receipt of voluntary PIDs under s 43(1)(a)-(b)	10
Risk management under s 43(1)(c)	5
Detrimental action under s 43(1)(d)	5
Maintaining confidentiality under s 43(1)(e)	5
Corrective action under s 43(1)(f)	8
Record keeping under s 43(1)(g)	9
Reporting obligations under s 43(1)(g)	9
Establishing internal oversight & complying with the Act under s 43(1)(h)-(i)	8
Roles and responsibilities under s 43(2)	6
List of disclosure officers under s 43(4)	13
Referred to the PID Act 1994, not the PID Act 2022	10
Total	88

Table 13 shows the number of agencies we contacted and the number of agencies that acted on our recommendations within the time specified. 74 of the 126 agencies (59%) that we contacted acted on the recommendations and complied with their PID policy obligations at 30 June 2025. We will re-audit the agencies that did not act on the recommendations and work with them to ensure they comply with this obligation.

Table 13. PID policy audit follow up

Agency PID policy status – 2024–25 audit	Agencies contacted	Corrective action taken
PID policy not published on agency website	82	44
PID policy published on agency website, does not contain required information	21	13
No website identified	23	17
Total	126	74

2023–24 PID policy audit – follow up

As we reported last year, our first PID policy audit identified 131 agency policies (40% of agencies audited in 2023–24) that did not meet the requirements in the Act. The agencies either had no PID policy published on their website, or their policy referenced the former PID Act.

We included these 131 agencies in the 2024–25 PID policy desktop audit. Of this group, 7 agencies were impacted by a change in circumstance and no longer had a functional public website. Of these 7 agencies, some entered into an arrangement under section 81 of the Act, were no longer operational or were dormant while in the process of winding up.  

Table 14 provides further insight on corrective action undertaken by the 131 agencies following our audit and engagement activity. From the 131 agencies, 47 (36%) took corrective action and were compliant at the time of the second audit in 2024–25. We wrote to 84 (64%) agencies to recommend improvements following the second audit. 30 of the 84 agencies contacted (36%) made changes and now meet their PID policy obligations.

Table 14. Policy compliance – 131 agencies audited in 2023–24

Agency status	Compliant	Not compliant
2023–24 desktop audit	0	131
2024–25 desktop audit	47	84
After 2024–25 audit	77	54

Part 4 - Ombudsman activities

Whistleblower support

Our Whistleblower Support Team started its work in 2024–25. This is a new function that provides confidential and impartial support to NSW public officials who have reported, or are thinking about reporting, serious wrongdoing in the NSW public sector.

The team operates separately from the areas of the office who receive and handle PIDs or advise agencies about the handling of PIDs. Public officials who contact Whistleblower Support are provided with information and guidance about the PID process and are able to discuss their concerns about serious wrongdoing without the risk of unintentionally making a PID.

During the reporting period we recruited and trained specialist staff and established a dedicated phone hotline, email address and web page. By June 2025 we had provided briefings to agencies which employ around one third of all NSW public officials. We also presented about the new function at the National Investigations Symposium in May 2025.

In recognition that some public officials who report serious wrongdoing may need mental health support, we engaged a provider for a pilot whistleblower wellbeing referral scheme. The scheme commenced in August 2025 and enables an eligible public official to access a number of sessions with a registered psychologist who has relevant experience. The pilot will gauge the demand for, and effectiveness of, providing such specialised professional support to NSW public sector whistleblowers. We are also continuing to look at possible arrangements for a pilot scheme giving eligible public officials access to legal advice.

Attitudes to reporting wrongdoing

In June 2025, we surveyed a group of NSW public officials to understand their attitudes to whistleblowing and awareness of public interest disclosures. The purpose of the survey was to inform the continued development of the whistleblower support function. It largely replicated questions from a previous survey in July 2024. 501 respondents completed the survey.

Key insights related to reporting serious wrongdoing and attitudes towards whistleblowing include: 

• The majority of public officials surveyed (68%) were aware of the term ‘Public Interest Disclosure’, with the main source of awareness coming from training (51%) and reading their agency’s PID policy (40%).
• Reporting serious wrongdoing was more commonly referred to as ‘speaking up’ (38%) or ‘making a PID’ (37%), rather than ‘whistleblowing’ (25%). 
• The term ‘whistleblowing’ had fewer negative connotations than last year, and whistleblowers were more commonly described by respondents as ‘principled’ (40%), ‘just doing their job’ (35%) and ‘heroic’ (34%). 
• 62% of respondents who had previously reported serious wrongdoing felt it was easy to decide to do so. This was a marginal increase from last year, where 58% of respondents identified it was easy to decide to report serious wrongdoing. 
• Among the respondents who were neutral or found it difficult to report serious wrongdoing, nearly half (43%) indicated they had concerns of retaliation. 
• The top 3 perceived barriers to reporting were: 
  • concerns about possible impacts on future job prospects or career (60% of respondents) 
  • concerns about retaliation from senior leaders or work colleagues (60% of respondents) 
  • concerns about a lack of support through the process (50% of respondents).
• Anonymity was valued in reporting (69% of respondents).

The survey also asked about our whistleblower support work. Key insights include:

• Around 2 in 5 respondents (39%) indicated they were aware of the function. 
• Awareness of whistleblower support was highest amongst respondents who had reported serious wrongdoing (53% of those who made a report, compared to 35% of those who have not made a report). 
• Among those who would consider contacting the function before making a report, the key driver was the perception that the function would provide them with guidance, advice or support (55% of respondents).
• A key reason for not accessing whistleblower support before making a report was that respondents would tend to reach out to people who were familiar to them (16% of respondents would contact someone else / another service first). 
• Other reasons for not accessing whistleblower support related to not knowing how the process works (13% of respondents), unawareness of what the function does (11% of respondents), and concerns of repercussions of reporting (11% of respondents). 

These results will help us to target our awareness raising work, particularly relating to how we can support those who are considering or who have already spoken up.

Providing advice

Under the Act, the Ombudsman can provide advice to agencies in connection with their functions, and public officials and other persons, in connection with the operation of the Act and the protections available to them.

Our function is to provide general advice to agencies and their staff to help them handle PIDs and comply with agency obligations under the Act. Our approach is to provide advice that is both technical and practical with the objective of building agency capability in the PID scheme.

In 2024–25 we responded to 201 requests for advice from agencies. Many enquiries arose from the PID assessment process, or investigations of serious wrongdoing. This is in contrast with the previous reporting period when many enquiries related to agency functions and questions about operationalising the Act.

As well as responding to individual requests for advice, we identify issues which may cause confusion or concern for more than one agency. In 2024–25 we identified several issues like this, including uncertainty about how to conduct internal reviews, confusion about detrimental action offences and associated reporting requirements, and poor understanding about what constitutes an anonymous PID. We will address these issues by revising our guidelines and making them a focus during training and engagement activities.

Raising awareness and understanding of the Act

1. We have continued to ensure agencies can access our eLearning courses and upload them to their learning management systems. For smaller agencies, we hosted the courses on our learning management system for 247 public officials.
2. This year, we developed PID scenario-based training for managers and disclosure officers to build on the existing eLearning courses. We have delivered the training in 21 sessions to over 260 people across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney. We also developed additional resources including a factsheet for managers.
3. We presented 2 virtual sessions to 159 people with a focus on agency responsibilities in dealing with PIDs, as well as sharing insights from the 2023–24 PID Act annual report. This included a session for the Office of Local Government and the NSW University network. We also delivered 4 executive briefings to 28 executive staff, and 3 in-person presentations at conferences and network meetings.

PID Bytes

‘PID Bytes’ are short videos we created that highlight key aspects of the Act and provide easy-to-digest information to assist agencies implement and deal with PIDs. In total we have produced 19 PID Bytes videos, the second tranche released in July 2024 to respond to key issues agencies were raising through their enquiries.

The videos cover topics such as ”Why are PIDs important”, “Why is speaking up important” as well as specific subject-matter guidance such as “How does the PID Act apply to contractors, subcontractors & volunteers” and “What is a detrimental action offence”.

As at the time of reporting, the PID Bytes videos have been viewed over 58,000 times.

PID Community of Practice

At the end of 2023, we established a PID Community of Practice. The Community of Practice is an opportunity for public officials with specific roles under the Act to share experiences and ideas for operationalising the Act.

The group met in August 2024 and February 2025. At the time of writing, there were over 120 members.

Aboriginal Land Councils

1. Aboriginal Land Councils (ALCs), including Local Aboriginal Land Councils, are agencies under the PID Act. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Board Members/Councillors, staff and voting members of ALCs are public officials and can report serious wrongdoing under the PID scheme.
2. We continued to engage with relevant key stakeholders in the Aboriginal Land Council network, deepening our working connections, supporting ALCs to raise awareness of the PID Act and its importance, and the benefits of a ‘speak up’ culture.
3. We are reviewing our learning materials and products to ensure they are support ALCs to understand their roles and duties under the Act and to support them to comply with their obligations.
4. We have provided virtual and in-person training and awareness sessions to CEOs, disclosure officers and managers of ALCs across NSW.

Handling notifications

The Act requires agencies to notify our office when a reportable event occurs. These notifications must occur as soon as possible following the event. Information about reporting is available in our Reporting to the Ombudsman guideline.

Reportable events under the Act are:

1. Allegations of detrimental action
2. Possible detrimental action offences:
   • When an agency becomes aware of an allegation that a detrimental action offence has been committed by a public official associated with the agency.^[54]
   • When an agency refers evidence of a detrimental action offence to the Commissioner of the NSW Police Force and to either the ICAC or the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).^[55]
   • When an agency becomes aware of the outcome of a prosecution against a public official associated with the agency for the commission of a detrimental action offence.^[56]
   • When an agency otherwise becomes aware of a detrimental action offence that has been committed or alleged and has arisen from a PID relating to the agency.^[57]
3. When an agency receives a voluntary PID and decides to:
   • neither investigate the relevant serious wrongdoing nor to refer the disclosure, or
   • cease investigating the relevant serious wrongdoing without either completing the investigation or referring the disclosure

(in notifying the Ombudsman, the agency must also provide written reasons for that action).

1. When an agency (agency A) enters into an arrangement with another agency (agency B), for agency B to undertake the functions of agency A under the Act on agency A’s behalf.^[58]
2. When an agency enters into an arrangement with an entity (that is not an agency) which allows the entity to exercise one or more of the agency’s functions under the Act on their behalf (these functions can only be receiving voluntary PIDs, dealing with voluntary PIDs and providing the training required under the Act).^[59]

We received 209 reportable event notifications in 2024–25. 148 notifications (71%) related to arrangements entered into under section 81 of the Act.

When we receive a notification relating to alleged or possible detrimental action, we contact the agency for further information to understand how the agency is dealing with the matter, the seriousness of the allegation, and what further monitoring action we will take.

Table 15. Number of Notifications made to the NSW Ombudsman in 2024–25

Notification type	Number
Notifications about alleged or possible detrimental action offences (s 34(4))	34
Notifications about decisions to cease or not investigate a disclosure (s 55(3))	27
Notifications about arrangements to exercise functions on behalf of an agency (s 81)	148
Total	209

Detrimental action allegations

When we receive a notification relating to allegations of detrimental action, we engage with the agency and, where required, request further information to understand how the agency is dealing with the matter and the seriousness of the allegation. We received 34 reports from agencies during the 2024–25 return period in relation to allegations of detrimental action.

Decisions about investigations/referrals

During the 2024–25 reporting period we received 27 reports under section 55(3) requiring agencies to notify us when they have decided to:

• neither investigate nor refer the serious wrongdoing, or
• cease investigating the relevant serious wrongdoing without either completing the investigation or referring the disclosure.

Part 5 - Steering Committee

PID Steering Committee

Functions

The Act establishes a PID Steering Committee. The functions of the Steering Committee are to:

• provide advice to the Minister on the operation of the Act and recommendations for reform
• provide advice to the Minister on regulations proposed to be made under the Act, and
• receive, consider and provide advice to the Minister on reports provided by our office in the exercise of our functions under the Act.^[60]

Members

The members of the Committee are:

• the Ombudsman
• the Secretary of The Cabinet Office
• the Auditor-General
• the Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption
• the Chief Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
• the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure
• the Commissioner of Police
• the Information Commissioner
• the Public Service Commissioner, and
• the Privacy Commissioner.^[61]

The Ombudsman is the chairperson of the Steering Committee.

Each Committee member can nominate someone to exercise the functions of a member either generally or for a particular purpose.

At the time of writing, the nominated representatives for each Committee member are:

• Deputy Secretary, General Counsel for the Secretary of The Cabinet Office
• Executive Director, Legal Branch for the Secretary of The Cabinet Office
• Alexandra Ellinson, Director, Legislation & Assurance for the Auditor General
• Roy Waldon, Solicitor to the Commission for the Chief Commissioner of the ICAC
• Anina Johnson, Commissioner for the Chief Commissioner of the LECC
• Susan Raice, Director Prevention, Legal and Engagement for the Chief Commissioner of the LECC
• Douglas Walther, Executive Director Local Government for the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
• Commander of Professional Standards Command for the Commissioner of Police^[62]
• Sarah Sandstad, Director Legal Services for the Public Service Commissioner

Meetings

The Steering Committee met on 27 March 2025 and 12 June 2025. The following members (or nominees) attended each of the meetings.^[63]

27 March 2025

• Paul Miller, NSW Ombudsman
• Mark Hare, Deputy Secretary, General Counsel, The Cabinet Office
• Alexandra Ellinson, Director, Legislation & Assurance, Audit Office of New South Wales
• Roy Waldon, Solicitor to the Commission, ICAC
• Anina Johnson, Commissioner, Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
• Douglas Walther, Executive Director Local Government, Department of Planning, Housing and Industry
• Michael McLean, Superintendent, Professional Standards Command, NSW Police Force
• Sarah Sandstad, Director Legal Services, Office of the Public Service Commissioner
• Chris Clayton, Acting Information Commissioner
• Sonia Minutillo, Privacy Commissioner

12 June 2025

• Paul Miller, NSW Ombudsman
• Celia Barnett-Chu, Acting Executive Director, Legal, The Cabinet Office
• Alexandra Ellinson, Director, Legislation & Assurance, Audit Office of New South Wales
• Philippa Hook, Acting Solicitor to the Commission, ICAC
• Susan Raice, Director, Legal and Prevention, Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
• Douglas Walther, Executive Director Local Government, Department of Planning, Housing and Industry
• Michael McLean, Superintendent, Professional Standards Command, NSW Police Force
• Sarah Sandstad, Director Legal Services, Office of the Public Service Commissioner
• Rosalind Croucher, Information Commissioner
• Sonia Minutillo, Privacy Commissioner

Activities and focus

During the reporting period the role of the Committee has been primarily to oversee, guide and assist our office in our work to implement the Act.

At each meeting our office has also reported to the Committee on emerging operational issues with the Act reported by agencies, as well as any suggestions made by agencies for legislative change. The Committee has provided their insight into these operational and legislative issues.

The Committee has made several recommendations for areas where the Special Minister of State could consider legislative change.

Recommendations for legislative change

In November 2024, the PID Steering Committee wrote to the Special Minister of State to recommend consideration be given to the following amendments:

• Repeal section 18(1)(b) of the Act, which currently makes the most senior ongoing employee at each permanently maintained worksite a disclosure officer.
• Provide that, to be a voluntary PID, a disclosure must have a link to the discloser’s role or activities as a public official.
• Extend PID protections to disclosures made to an Australian legal practitioner for the purposes of seeking advice about making a voluntary PID.
• Clarify whether, and the extent to which, the Act protections apply to acts undertaken before making a disclosure that are reasonably necessary to make the disclosure. This could include copying or taking relevant documents.
• Clarify when a disclosure is ‘taken to be made’ to the head of an agency.

A copy of the letter to the Minister is included at Appendix B.

The Special Minister of State responded to the Steering Committee in June 2025 indicating that, unless there are any urgent amendments that need to be made to the Act, the Government proposes that these issues can be considered in the context of the future Parliamentary review of the Act, which is required by the Act to occur after 13 April 2027.^[64]

Appendices

Appendix A: Agencies that failed to provide an annual return in the specific period

The Act requires us to include in this report information about any agencies that failed to provide the Ombudsman with an annual return within the period specified by the Act.^[65]

Extensions to provide an annual return

Agencies must provide an annual return to the Ombudsman in relation to the return period, within 30 days of 30 June, unless the Ombudsman approves a later time.^[66]

An extension was granted to 255 (42%) agencies in the general cohort to provide their annual return. This represents a 40 percentage point decrease in extension requests over the 2023–24 9-month return period.

Failure to provide an annual return for 2024–25

Of the 606 agencies in the general cohort, 28 agencies did not provide us with an annual return for the 2024–25 return period (<5%). The 28 non-compliant agencies were:

• 3 Local Health Districts, being:
  • Murrumbidgee Local Health District
  • Northern Sydney Local Health District
  • Southern NSW Local Health District
• 1 statutory body, being:
  • Ministerial Development Corporation
    established under the Growth Centres (Development Corporations) Act 1974
• 1 Local Government Authority, being:
  • Snowy Monaro Regional Council
• 23 Aboriginal Land Councils, listed in Attachment A-1 of this appendix.

Statutory Land Managers are agencies under the Act. None of the 564 Statutory Land Managers provided an annual return for the 2024–25 return period. These are listed in Attachment A-2 of this appendix.

Common Trusts are agencies under the Act. None of the 115 Common Trusts provided an annual return for the 2024–25 return period. These are listed in Attachment A-3 of this appendix.

Failure to provide an annual return for 2024–25 within the specified time

One agency provided an annual return after the due date (including after any approved extension), being: Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council^[67]

Attachment A-1: Aboriginal Land Councils that failed to provide a return for 2024–25

Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council

Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council

Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council

Bogal Local Aboriginal Land Council

Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council

Casino-Boolangle Local Aboriginal Land Council

Cobar Local Aboriginal Land Council

Cobowra Local Aboriginal Land Council

Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council

Cummeragunja Local Aboriginal Land Council

Griffith Local Aboriginal Land Council

Gugin Gudduba Local Aboriginal Land Council

Jana Ngalee Local Aboriginal Land Council

Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council

Moombahlene Local Aboriginal Land Council

Nambucca Heads Local Aboriginal Land Council

Narrandera Local Aboriginal Land Council

Nulla Nulla Local Aboriginal Land Council

Onerwal Local Aboriginal Land Council

Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council

Purfleet/Taree Local Aboriginal Land Council

Tweed/Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council

Unkya Local Aboriginal Land Council

Attachment A-2: Statutory Land Managers that failed to provide a return for 2024–25

Abbotsford Park Land Manager

Adelong Crossing Park Land Manager

Albury Showground Land Manager

Alectown Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Alison Hone Reserve Land Manager

Alumy Creek Reserve Land Manager

Araluen Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ardlethan Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ariah Park Showground Land Manager

Armidale Showground Reserve Land Manager

Ashby Community Centre and Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ashford Showground Land Manager

Auburn Vale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Baerami Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Baerami Public Hall Land Manager

Bald Blair Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Baldry Showground and Reserve Land Manager

Balldale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ballimore Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Baradine Showground & Racecourse Land Manager

Barellan Recreational and Environmental Reserve Land Manager

Barellan Showground Land Manager

Barmedman Mineral Pool Reserve Land Manager

Barmedman Showground Land Manager

Barooga Community Centre Reserve Land Manager

Bathurst Showground Land Manager

Bearbong Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Beckom Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bectric Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bedgerabong Showground, Racecourse, Public Recreation and Public Hall Land Manager

Bedgerebong Cemetery Land Manager

Beechwood Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bega Showground Land Manager

Bellingen Showground Land Manager

Belmont Wetlands State Park Land Manager

Belmore River Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bemboka Showground Land Manager

Ben Lomond Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ben Lomond War Memorial Hall Land Manager

Bendick Murrell Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bentley Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Bermagui Flora And Fauna Reserve Land Manager

Berrigan Racecourse Land Manager

Berrima Court House Land Manager

Berrima Wildlife Reserve Land Manager

Bevendale Hall (R89153) And Recreation (R79892) Reserve Land Manager

Bidjigal (D1010489) Reserve Land Manager

Big Hill Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bilbul Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Billimari Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Binda Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Binnaway Racecourse Land Manager

Birriwa Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Black Flat Creek Reserve Land Manager

Bland Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Blaxland Crossing Recreation and Rest Ground Land Manager

Boambee Public Recreation and Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Bobadah Public Hall Land Manager

Bogan Gate Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bogan Gate Reserve Land Manager

Bogan Gate Showground and Racecourse Land Manager

Boggabilla Racecourse and Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Boggabri Showground and Public Recreation Land Manager

Bonalbo Showground Land Manager

Bonshaw Racecourse Reserve Land Manager

Bonville Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Boobera Lagoon (R1009930) Reserve Land Manager

Book Book Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Boomi Sports Ground (R.160033) Reserve Land Manager

Booyong Public Recreation and Preservation of Native Flora Reserve Land Manager

Borah Creek Public Hall Land Manager

Borambil Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bottle Bend Reserve Land Manager

Bowling Alley Point Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Braidwood Racecourse and Athletic Sportsground Reserve Land Manager

Bribbaree Bush Fire Brigade Land Manager

Bribbaree Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Bribbaree Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bribbaree Showground Land Manager

Broadwater Koala Reserve Land Manager

Brocklehurst Horse And Pony Club Reserve Land Manager

Broke Public Hall Land Manager

Broken Hill Regional Events Centre Reserve Land Manager

Brungle Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bugaldie War Memorial Site Land Manager

Bulahdelah War Memorial Land Manager

Bundarra Community Purposes Reserve Land Manager

Bundarra Showground Land Manager

Bundgeam Hall Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Bungendore Racecourse & Showground Land Manager

Bungendore Rodeo and Equestrian Sports and Recreation Ground Land Manager

Bungonia Park Land Manager

Bungowannah Public Hall Land Manager

Bunnan Memorial Hall Land Manager

Bunnan Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Buraja Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Burraga Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Burrandana Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Burrendong Arboretum Land Manager

Burringbar Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Byabarra Recreation & Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Byrangery Grass (R140088) Reserve Land Manager

Byrock Rock Holes Reserve Land Manager

Caffreys Flat Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Calarie Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Candelo Showground Land Manager

Canowindra Showground and Racecourse Land Manager

Capertee Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Carabost Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Carrathool Racecourse Land Manager

Cassilis War Memorial Park Land Manager

Central Coast Wetlands - Pioneer Dairy Land Manager

Cobargo Showground Land Manager

Cobboco Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Coffs Harbour Preservation of Native Flora Reserve Land Manager

Collector Bushrangers Reserve Land Manager

Collie Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Collingullie Soldiers' Memorial Hall Land Manager

Collins Creek Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Collombatti Public Hall Land Manager

Comobella Public Hall Land Manager

Coolac Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Coolah Showground and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Cooma Correctional Centre (R1002967) Reserve Land Manager

Cooma Rifle Range Reserve (R57908) Land Manager

Coonabarabran Showground Land Manager

Coonamble Racecourse & Recreation Land Manager

Copmanhurst Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Copmanhurst War Memorial Hall Reserve Land Manager

Coreen Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Corindi Beach Reserve Land Manager

Corowa Racecourse and Showground Land Manager

Courabyra Public Hall Land Manager

Cowra Showground, Racecourse and Paceway Land Manager

Croppa Creek Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Cryon Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Cullen Bullen Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Cumbijowa Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Cumborah Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Cuttabri Public Recreation Land Manager

Dalton Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Dargan Creek Reserve Land Manager

Dark Corner Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Daysdale Memorial Hall Land Manager

Daysdale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Deepwater Public Hall Land Manager

Delungra Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Deniliquin Historic Buildings Land Manager

Deniliquin Racecourse Land Manager

Dirawong Reserve Land Manager

Dirnaseer Public Hall Land Manager

Dooralong Community (R1001059) Reserve Land Manager

Dorrigo Showground & Public Recreation Land Manager

Dorrobbee Grass Reserve Land Manager

Dover Park Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Downside Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Dudley War Memorial Land Manager

Dundee Community Centre (R91271) Reserve Land Manager

Dundundra Falls (R65042) Reserve Land Manager

Dunedoo Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Dunedoo Showground Land Manager

Dungarubba Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Dungog Common Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Dunoon Public Recreation & Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Dyraaba Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

East Maitland War Memorial and Rest Park Land Manager

Eatonsville Public Hall Land Manager

Ebor Conservation and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ebor Sports And Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Eden Creek Public Recreation and Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Edgeroi Public Recreation Land Manager

Edith Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ellangowan Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Ellerslie Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Elong Elong Public Hall Land Manager

Elong Elong Recreation Reserve (R53112) And Public Hall (R89058) Land Manager

Elsmore Soldiers Memorial Hall Reserve Land Manager

Emmaville Courthouse Museum and Community Centre Reserve Land Manager

Euberta Public Hall Land Manager

Euchareena Public Hall Land Manager

Eulah Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Eumungerie Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Eureka Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Eurimbla Public Hall Land Manager

Eurunderee Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ferntree Gully Reserve Land Manager

Finley Lake Land Manager

Frogmore Hall And Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ganmain Showground Land Manager

Ganmain Sports Ground Land Manager

Garema Public Hall and Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Garibaldi Reserve Land Manager

Geurie Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Gilgai Public Hall and Recreation Reserves Land Manager

Gilgandra Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Gilgandra Showground Land Manager

Gladstone Recreation & Racecourse Reserve Land Manager

Glen Innes Showground Land Manager

Glen Oak Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve Land Manager

Glencoe Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Glenreagh Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Godfreys Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Gollan Public Hall Land Manager

Goobarragandra Valley Reserves Land Manager

Goolgowi Sports Ground Land Manager

Gooloogong Memorial Hall Land Manager

Gooloogong Public Recreation and Racecourse Land Manager

Gosford Showground Land Manager

Goulburn City Tennis Court Reserve Land Manager

Goulburn Golf Course Land Manager

Goulburn Rifle Range Reserve Land Manager

Goulburn Rugby Park Reserve Land Manager

Government House Sydney Reserve Land Manager

Grabben Gullen Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Grassy Head Nursery Reserve (R97671) Land Manager

Green Pigeon Community Centre (R91367) Reserve Land Manager

Greenvale Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Grenfell Racecourse Land Manager

Grenfell Showground Land Manager

Gresford Park Land Manager

Griffith Showground Land Manager

Gulargambone Showground and Racecourse Land Manager

Gulgong Pony & Polocrosse Ground Reserve Land Manager, The Minister

Gulgong Showground Land Manager

Gum Flat Public Hall and Recreation Reserves Land Manager

Gumly Gumly Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Gundagai Racecourse and Showground Land Manager

Gundaroo Park Land Manager

Gundillion Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Gundurimba Flood Refuge Reserve Land Manager

Gundy Crown Reserves Land Manager

Gunningbland Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Guyra War Memorial Hall Land Manager

Halfway Creek Community Reserve Land Manager

Hampton Park Reserve Land Manager

Hanging Rock Hall Land Manager

Hannam Vale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Hartley Reserves Land Manager

Hartley Vale Mount Blaxland Reserve Land Manager

Harwood Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Hat Head Dune Management Land Manager

Hatfield Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Hernani Public Hall Land Manager

Hillgrove Recreational Reserve (R1015948) Land Manager

Hillston Showground Land Manager

Holbrook Racecourse Land Manager

Holbrook Recreation Ground Land Manager

Homebush Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Horton Sports Ground Land Manager

Hungry Point Reserve Land Manager

Ilford Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Illabo Showground Land Manager

Iluka Koala Reserve Land Manager

Inverell Rifle Range (R67992) Reserve Land Manager

Inverell Showground Land Manager

Inverell Speedway Reserve Land Manager

Ivanhoe Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Ivanhoe Racecourse Reserve Land Manager

Jerrawa Showground Land Manager

Jindabyne Airport Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Johns River Public Hall & Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Joy Cummings Centre (R170023) Reserve Land Manager

Junction Reefs Reserve Land Manager

Junee Reefs Public Hall Land Manager

Junee Showground Land Manager

Kalang Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Kalinda Road Reserve 83392 Land Manager

Kangaroo Valley Pioneer Settlement Reserve Land Manager

Katandra Bushland Sanctuary (R86487) Reserve Land Manager

Keerong Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Kelso Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Kendall Community Centre Reserve Land Manager

Kendall War Memorial Reserve Land Manager

Kikoira Public Recreation (R71567) And Kikoira Public Hall (R64091) Reserve Land Manager

Killabakh Public Hall Land Manager

Kindra Park Land Manager

Kingstown Public Hall Land Manager

Koorawatha Showground Land Manager

Kootingal Community Hall Land Manager

Kundabung Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Kyogle Showground and Public Recreation Land Manager

Lacmalac Public Hall Land Manager

Lade Vale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ladysmith Memorial Hall Land Manager

Laggan Hall Land Manager

Lagoon School of Arts Land Manager

Lake Cargelligo Reserve Land Manager

Lake Liddell Recreation Area (R87894) Reserve Land Manager

Lalalty Hall Land Manager

Lambton Mechanics Institute Land Manager

Lansdowne Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Lawrence Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Leeton Showground Trustees Land Manager

Lightning Ridge Area Opal Reserve Land Manager

Lightning Ridge Historical Society Land Manager

Lila Leigo Centre Reserve Land Manager

Liston Children's Playground Reserve Land Manager

Liston War Memorial Reserve Land Manager

Little Plain Recreation and Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Long Plain Public Hall & Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Lower Bucca Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Lowther War Memorial Reserve Land Manager

Lynch's Creek (R86485) Reserve Land Manager

Main Camp Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Majors Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Mallanganee Public Hall Land Manager

Mandagery Public Hall Land Manager

Mandurama Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Mangoplah Public Hall Land Manager

Mangrove Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Mangrove Mountain Flora Reserve (R.67322) Land Manager

Mangrove Mountain Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Manildra Showground and Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Marchmont Racecourse Land Manager

Marra Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Marrar Gymkhana Reserve Land Manager

Marthaguy Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Maryvale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Matong Crown Reserves Land Manager

Maules Creek Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Meadow Flat Public Recreation (R47366) Reserve Land Manager

Meerschaum Vale Hall Land Manager

Menindee Golf Course Land Manager

Merah North Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Meroo Public Hall Land Manager

Meroo Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Merriwagga Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Methul Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Metropolitan Memorial Parks Land Manager

Mirrool Public Hall Land Manager

Mogriguy Public Hall Land Manager

Moonan Brook Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Moonan Flat Public Hall Land Manager

Moonan Flat Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Moonbi Recreation Hall Land Manager

Moore Creek Reserve Land Manager

Moorland Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Moree Homes For the Aged Reserve Land Manager

Moree Showground Land Manager

Morongla Creek Showground Land Manager

Moss Vale Recreation Ground Reserve Land Manager

Mount Arthur (R85000) Reserve Land Manager

Mount Burrell Community Centre Reserve Land Manager

Mount George School of Arts Reserve Land Manager

Mount Rankin (R 1001055) Reserve Land Manager

Mt Irvine Public Hall (R.60844) Reserve Land Manager

Mt St Joseph Land Manager

Mudgee Memorial Combined Sportsground Land Manager

Mulbring Community Hall Land Manager

Mullumbimby Showground Land Manager

Mummulgum Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Mungery Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Mungindi Antique Machinery Display Reserve Land Manager

Murga Parkland Reserve Land Manager

Murringo Sportsground Land Manager

Murrumburrah Showground Land Manager

Murwillumbah Showground Land Manager

Museum Of Education Land Manager

Myall Creek Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Nangus Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Naradhan Reserves Land Manager

Narira Park Land Manager

Narooma (R.1013988) Reserve Land Manager

Narooma Pre-School Kindergarten Land Manager

Narrabri Racecourse Land Manager

Narrabri Showground Land Manager

Narrandera Racecourse Land Manager

Narrandera Showground Land Manager

Neilrex Public Hall Land Manager

Nelungaloo Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Nerriga Craft and Museum Centre Land Manager

Nerrigundah Tennis and Recreation Land Manager

Neurea Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Nevertire Public Hall Land Manager

Neville Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Neville Showground and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

New Park Dusodie Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Newcastle Historic (R98160) Reserve Land Manager

Newcastle Velodrome Land Manager

Newcastle-Adamstown Racing Pigeon Society Land Manager

Niangala Community Purposes Reserve Land Manager

Nimmitabel Racecourse Land Manager

North Codrington Flood Refuge Reserve Land Manager

Nowendoc Memorial Hall Land Manager

Nowendoc Recreation Reserves Land Manager

NSW Angler Access Reserves Reserve Land Manager

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager, Coffs Harbour Showground & Public Recreation Land Manager

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager, Corindi Beach Reserve Land Manager

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager, The Minister

NSW Crown Holiday Parks Land Manager, Wee Jasper Reserves Land Manager

Nullamanna Reserve Land Manager

Oberne Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Oberon Showground Land Manager

Ogunbil Reserve Land Manager

Old Bega Hospital (R.180050) Reserve Land Manager

Old Piggabeen School (R1002621) Reserve Land Manager

Ophir (R65909) Reserve Land Manager

Orana Pistol Club Land Manager

Oxley Island Flora & Fauna Reserve Land Manager

Pallamallawa Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Palmers Oakey Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Panuara Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Parkes Showground Land Manager

Paterson Street Hilltop (R1002857) Reserve Land Manager

Patonga Public Hall and Bush Fire Brigade Land Manager

Peak Hill Showground Land Manager

Peel Native Flora & Fauna Reserve Land Manager

Peel Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Pelican Memorial Park Land Manager

Penrose Park Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Pilliga Park Land Manager

Pine Ridge Public Hall Land Manager

Pooncarie Hospital Reserve Land Manager

Pretty Gully Protection of Native Flora Reserve Land Manager

Pucawan Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Pyramul Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Quaama Sports Ground Land Manager

Quandialla Showground Land Manager

Rankins Springs Community Reserve Land Manager

Rannock Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Rawsonville Recreation Reserve and Hall Land Manager

Red Range Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Reids Flat Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Rennie Reserves Land Manager

Rileys Hill Dry Dock Heritage Reserve Land Manager

Rileys Hill War Memorial Reserve Land Manager

Robertson Showground Land Manager

Rocky Hall Community Centre Land Manager

Rocky Plains Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Rollands Plains Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Rose Bay (D500321) Reserve Land Manager

Rosebank Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ross & Faye Wildlife Reserve Land Manager

Rous Mill Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Rowena Tennis Club Reserve Land Manager

Rugby Hall And Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Running Stream Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ruthven Public Recreation and Preservation of Native Flora Reserve Land Manager

Rydal Showground Land Manager

Rye Park Showground Land Manager

Sally's Flat Recreation Ground Land Manager

Sandigo Recreation and Hall Land Manager

Savernake School of Arts Reserve Land Manager

Sodwalls Tennis Courts Reserve Land Manager

South Coast Correctional Centre (R1014289) Reserve Land Manager

South Pacific Heathland Reserve Land Manager

Spring Hill Recreation Ground Land Manager

Spring Plains Public Hall Land Manager

Staggy Creek Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Sulphide Street Station Railway and Historical Museum - Broken Hill Land Manager

Sunny Corner Historic Reserve Land Manager

Swan Vale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Swansea Memorial Hall Land Manager

Tabulam Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Tabulam Racecourse Land Manager

Tallimba Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Tallong Picnic & Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tallong Public Hall and Recreation Land Manager

Tallwood Public Hall Land Manager

Talmalmo Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tambar Springs Racecourse Land Manager

Tantawanglo Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Taralga Golf Course Reserve Land Manager

Tarcutta Memorial Hall Land Manager

Tarcutta Racecourse Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tathra Forest Wildlife Reserve Land Manager

Temora Showground Land Manager

Tent Hill Public Hall Land Manager

Tenterden Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tenterfield Showground Land Manager

Terry Hie Hie Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

The Channon Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

The Gosford Horticultural Institute (R69754) Reserve Land Manager

The Reefs Recreation Reserve Land Manager

The Susan and Elizabeth Islands Recreation Land Manager

TIA Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tichborne Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tipperary Gully Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ti-Tree Racecourse Land Manager

Tocumwal Blowhole Land Manager

Tomingley Racecourse and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Toongi Recreation Reserve and Hall Land Manager

Torrington War Memorial & Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Towrang Community Hall Reserve Land Manager

Towrang Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Towrang Stockade Land Manager

Triangle Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Trundle Racecourse Land Manager

Trundle Rest Shelter Reserve Land Manager

Trundle Showground Land Manager

Tullakool Hall Land Manager

Tullamore Racecourse Land Manager

Tullibigeal Community Centre & Swimming Pool Land Manager

Tully Park Golf Course Land Manager

Tumbarumba Racecourse Land Manager

Tumorrama Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Tumut Racecourse Land Manager

Tumut Showground Land Manager

Tuncurry Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Tunglebung Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tuntable Creek Public Hall Land Manager

Turkey Creek Agricultural Hall Land Manager

Turondale Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Tyalgum Public Recreation and Preservation of Native Flora and Fauna Reserve Land Manager

Tyndale Flood Refuge Reserve Land Manager

Uarbry Recreation Reserve Land Manager

UKI Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Ulamambri Public Hall Land Manager

Ulladulla War Memorial Land Manager

Ulladulla Wildflower Reserve Land Manager

Undoo Recreation Reserve (No 130066) Land Manager

Upper Orara Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Upper Rouchel Hall Reserve Land Manager

Uralla Goldfields Historical Reserve Land Manager

Uralla Showground Land Manager

Urbenville (R83461) Reserve Land Manager

Walaay Gayaa Reserve Land Manager

Walcha Showground and Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Walcha Tennis Courts Reserve Land Manager

Walgett Pistol Club Reserve Land Manager

Wallabadah Racecourse Reserve Land Manager

Wallangra Landcare (R.160046) Reserve Land Manager

Wallangra Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wallaroobie Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Land Manager

Wandsworth Community Centre Land Manager

Wards Mistake Sports (R110101) Reserve Land Manager

Warialda Showground Land Manager

Warrawidgee Hall Land Manager

Wattamondara Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wattle Flat Heritage Lands Land Manager

Wee Jasper Reserves Land Manager

Weethalle War Memorial Hall Land Manager

Welaregang Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wentworth Park Sporting Complex Land Manager

West Milby Recreation Reserve Land Manager

West Wyalong Showground Reserve Land Manager

Whiporie Public Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wiangaree Public Hall Reserve Land Manager

Wingello Recreation (R89378) Reserve Land Manager

Wingham Showground Land Manager

Wollun Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wongarbon Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wongwibinda Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Woodenbong (R42886) Reserve Land Manager

Woodenbong Public Hall Land Manager

Woodenbong War Memorial Reserve Land Manager

Woodville Oval Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Woolbrook Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Woolomin War Memorial Hall Land Manager

Woolooma Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Wyrallah Flood Refuge Reserve Land Manager

Yallambee Homes For the Aged Reserve Land Manager

Yarra Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Yarrangong Reserve Land Manager

Yarrie Lake Flora and Fauna Reserve Land Manager

Yarrie Lake Public Hall Land Manager

Yarrowitch Public Hall and Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Yates Park Land Manager

Yetholme Recreation Reserve Land Manager

Young Community Arts Centre Land Manager

Young Community Purposes (Cadet Training) Reserve Land Manager

Young Showground Land Manager

Attachment A-3: Common Trusts that failed to provide a return for 2024–25

Adaminaby Common Trust

Ardglen Common Trust

Ashford Common Trust

Balranald Common Trust

Baradine Common Trust

Barmedman Common Trust

Bellata Common Trust

Bendemeer Common Trust

Bibbenluke Temporary Common Trust

Binalong Common Trust

Bingara Common (R49857) Trust

Bodangora Common Trust

Boggabilla Common Trust

Boomi Common Trust

Breeza Common Trust

Brewarrina Common Trust

Brungle Common Trust

Bukkulla Common Trust

Bundarra Common Trust

Canbelego Common Trust

Cargo Common Trust

Carinda Common Trust

Cassilis/Dalkeith Common

Cathcart Common Trust

Cobar/Wrightville Common Trust

Coolah Common Trust

Coolatai Common Trust

Coonabarabran Common Trust

Corowa Common Trust

Cudal Common Trust

Curlewis Common Trust

Currabubula Common Trust

Deepwater Common Trust

Delungra Common Trust

Elsmore Common Trust

Emmaville Common Trust

Enngonia Common Trust

Euabalong Common Trust

Frogmore Common Trust

Garah Common Trust

Goodooga Common Trust

Gravesend Common Trust

Gulargambone Common Trust

Gumly Gumly Common Trust

Gundaroo Common Trust

Gunnedah Common Trust

Henty Common Trust

Hill End and Tambaroora Common Trust

Hillston Common Trust

Home Rule Common Trust

Howlong Common Trust

Jugiong Common Trust

Lockhart Common Trust

Manildra Common Trust

Mendooran Common Trust

Menindee Common Trust

Merriwa Common Trust

Mullaley Common Trust

Mungindi Common Trust

Murringo Common Trust

Murrurundi Common Trust

Nimmitabel Common Trust

North Gundagai Common Trust

Nymagee Common Trust

Pilliga Common Trust

Pooncarie Common Trust

Portland Common Trust

Quambone Common Trust

Rankins Springs Common Trust

Red Range Common Trust

Silverton Common Trust

Somerton Common Trust

South Gundagai Common Trust

Stuart Town Common Trust

Tenterfield Common Trust

The Rock Common Trust

Tibooburra Common Trust

Tingha Common Trust

Tocumwal Common Trust

Torrington Common Trust

Ulamambri Common Trust

Upper Horton Common Trust

Urana Common Trust

Walcha Common Trust

Wallabadah Common Trust

Wattamondara Common Trust

Wee Waa Common Trust

Wilcannia Common Trust

Willyama Common Trust

Womboota Common Trust

Woodstock Common Trust

Woomargama Common Trust

Yetman Common Trust

Gundy Common Trust

Bonalbo Common Trust

Drake Common Trust

Wollombi Common Trust

Wingen Common Trust

Woodenbong Common Trust

Trustees Of Candelo Common

Fifield Common Trust

Bingara Common

Whitton Common Trust

Lake Cargelligo Common Trust

Delegate Common Trust

Weabonga Common Trust

Bingara Common Trust

Carroll Common Trust

Nundle Common Trust

Bemboka Common Trust

Bethungra Common Trust

Barraba Common Trust

St Albans Common Trust

Collarenebri Common Trust

Glennies Creek Common Trust

Appendix B: Letter from PID Steering Committee to the Special Minister of State

Footnotes

1. Section 72(1)(d). 

2. Section 3. 

3. Part 2, Division 2. 

4. Section 40. 

5. Part 3, Division 2. 

6. Section 64. 

7. The meaning of ‘public official’ is in section 14. 

8. The meaning of ‘agency’ is in section 16. 

9. Section 24. 

10. Section 23. 

11. Section 22. 

12. Section 19 of the Act provides for a person or body declared by the Public Interest Disclosures Regulation 2022 to also be an integrity agency for the purposes of the Act. As at the date of writing this report, no additonal integrity agencies have been prescribed. 

13. Part 6, Division 2. 

14. Section 78 of the Act, clauses 5 and 6 of the Regulation. 

15. Section 78(2). 

16. Under section 81 of the Act, an agency can arrange for another agency or entity to exercise all or some of their functions. 

17. A purported PID is defined in the dictionary (Schedule 2 of the Act) as a disclosure that is:

    made in compliance with section 27 of the Act — meaning the maker made the report to a recipient of voluntary PIDs

    not a mandatory PID or a witness PID, and

    stated by the maker of the disclosure to be a PID, whether or not it is in fact a PID. 

18. 'Ongoing' means the reporting agency's action into the alleged wrongdoing has not been concluded, and the matter is not finalised or referred. 

19. Established or continued under the Crown Land Management Act 2016, Crown reserves are managed by the community and the government. The network includes local councils, incorporated groups, not-for-profit corporations as well as over 550 volunteer boards are responsible for overseeing more than 7,800 Crown reserves throughout New South Wales. 

20. Trust established in respect of a Common under the Commons Management Act 1989. Publicly owned land overseen by the state government on behalf of the people of NSW is known as crown land. These include cemeteries, recreation areas, pasture grounds and beaches. Crown land managers operate the day-to-day operations of Crown reserves, through a partnership between the community and the government. Commons trust boards often depend on volunteers which play a vital role in the management and operation of their common. 

21. Examples include commercial consulting companies of a university, other registered higher education institutions that are related to a university. 

22. Section 81(2). 

23. Clause 6(1) of the Regulation. 

24. Under section 27(2) of the Act, these disclosures are taken to be made to the head of an agency.  

25. Under section 27(2) of the Act, these disclosures are taken to be made to the head of an agency.  

26. Schedule 2 Dictionary. 

27. 5 agencies failed to provide a response in 2023–24 

28. 1,548 relationships across 1,300 voluntary PIDs – this includes PIDs that agencies reported the relationship as ‘not disclosed’ and ‘unknown’. 

29. Section 13. 

30. These groupings are discrete, and are not included in the count for other groups. For example, a voluntary PID alleging corrupt conduct, serious maladministration and a serious and substantial waste of public money is not also included in the count as a voluntary PID alleging corrupt conduct and serious maladministration. 

31. Under 1% of agencies did not respond to this question in 2023–24 and were excluded from Figure 12. 

32. A referral in respect of one voluntary PID can be made to more than one integrity agency. In 2024–25, 403 referrals were made in relation to 360 voluntary PIDs. 

33. 16% in 2023–24 (26 from 159 referrals) compared to 7% in 2024–25 (26 from 403 referrals). 

34. More than one action can be taken for each voluntary PID. For example, an agency can investigate a matter and also refer the same matter to another agency. Agencies reported 1,336 actions in relation to 1,128 finalisations in 2024–25. 

35. Section 56(2) allows an integrity agency to deal with a voluntary PID which does not relate to it in accordance section 58 of the Act, or another Act or law which authorises the integrity agency to investigate the relevant serious wrongdoing. For example, ICAC may deal with such a voluntary PID under the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988. 

36. Integrity agencies may deal with a voluntary PID under another Act which has a different definition of ‘investigation’. For example, the ICAC only considers a matter to be an investigation if it is handled under section 20 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988. 

37. More than one action can be taken for each voluntary PID. For example, an agency can investigate a matter and also refer the same matter to another agency. Integrity agencies reported 476 actions in relation to 450 finalisations in 2024–25. 

38. These agencies reported 806 actions in relation to 678 finalisations. 

39. Section 27. 

40. Section 66(1). 

41. Of the 146 voluntary PIDs where serious wrongdoing was found, no corrective action was reported for 12 matters in 2024–25. 

42. An agency can report more than one reason for not dealing with a disclosure as a PID. 

43. Section 3(a). 

44. Including all staff messages. 

45. 48 agencies either failed to provide further details, replicated available options, or provided unrelated commentry. 

46. As distinct from mandatory PID training specified in section 48(2) of the Act. 

47. Section 48(2). 

48. This being the first general audit of agencies under the new Act, we did not seek to legally compel agencies to comply. It is pleasing that most agencies did participate. Now that the Act has been in place for 2 years, agencies should be moving beyond initial implementation actions (eg developing and publishing new policies, initial training of staff, etc) toward routine and rigorous compliance. Accordingly, future audits - including sector-wide and/or self-assessment audits - will be conducted utilising our coercive powers, to ensure comprehensive participation and results. 

49. Section 81(4)(b) of the Act. 

50. Section 81(4)(a) of the Act. 

51. Section 42. 

52. Section 43. 

53. One agency is no longer active. 

54. Section 34(4)(a). 

55. Section 34(2). 

56. Section 34(4)(c). 

57. Section 34(4)(d). 

58. Section 81(4)(b). 

59. Ibid. 

60. Section 68. 

61. Section 67. 

62. There have been several senior officers in the position of Commander of the Professional Standards Command representing the Commissioner at Steering Committee meetings. 

63. A number of the nominees listed as having attended the meetings have since had a change in their position title. The title listed is the role they held at the time of the meeting. 

64. The Act requires a joint committee of Parliament review the Act as soon as possible 5 years after the date of assent (13 April 2022). 

65. Section 76(1)(e). 

66. Section 78(2). 

67. This agency was granted an extension of time, but provided a a return after that extended period.