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DGS Public Interest Disclosure

A public interest disclosure is a disclosure made in line with the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2012. This page describes the process for making disclosures relating to the Department of Government Services.

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Purpose of the Public Interest Disclosures Act

The PID Act aims to:

What is a public interest disclosure?

A public interest disclosure is a report made by an individual about:

Who can make a public interest disclosure?

Any individual (for instance, an employee of the department, a member of the public or a stakeholder) may make a disclosure.

What can I make a public interest disclosure about?

You may make a disclosure to the Department of Government Services Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators about improper conduct and detrimental action taken by the Department or one of its officers or employees.

‘Improper conduct’ is defined in the Public Interest Disclosures (PID) Act. Examples of improper conduct include serious professional misconduct, intentional or reckless breach of public trust and conduct adversely affecting the honest performance by a public officer of their functions.

‘Detrimental action’ includes action that causes injury, loss or damage, and may include intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

A disclosure can relate to conduct or action that:

If you wish to make a public interest disclosure unrelated to the Department of Government Services, please refer to the information available on the IBAC website.

How do I make a disclosure?

You can disclose information about the department or its staff by contacting the Department of Government Services’ Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators, which are the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel.

You can make a disclosure to the Department’s Public Interest Disclosure Coordinators by:

If you work for the department, you can also speak with your line manager or the Secretary, DGS to make a public interest disclosure (including a disclosure unrelated to the Department).

You can also disclose directly to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC):

If your disclosure is about a ministerial officer, you should contact IBAC. If your disclosure is about a statutory entity or statutory office within the department’s portfolio, you should contact IBAC, the Ombudsman or the Victorian Inspectorate.

What happens after I make a disclosure to the department?

The department’s Public Interest Disclosure Coordinator will assess your disclosure. They will determine if it meets the threshold of a public interest disclosure. If your disclosure meets the threshold, the department must refer the matter to IBAC for further assessment.

If your disclosure is assessed as not a public interest disclosure, the Public Interest Disclosure Coordinator will let you know.

What kind of protections do disclosers have?

Once the department or IBAC formally assess a report as a public interest disclosure, the discloser gets protections. The discloser:

In most cases the content of a public interest disclosure, and the identity of the discloser, must also be kept secret. This information may be disclosed in some cases, including where necessary to exercise functions under the PID Act.

More information

You can visit IBAC’s website for more information on public interest disclosures.

The Department has otherwise established detailed procedures to facilitate the making of disclosures, their handling and assessment. Please contact publicinterestdisclosure@dgs.vic.gov.au if you would like a copy of these procedures.

Updated 26 March 2025

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