NSW Ombudsman publishes guidance to support the commencement of new PID Act on 1 October

The NSW Ombudsman has published new guidelines to help agencies meet their obligations under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (PID Act), which commences on 1 October 2023. The PID Act is an integral part of the integrity framework in NSW and facilitates public sector reporting of serious wrongdoing.

The PID Act replaces the previous Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 and creates additional roles and responsibilities for NSW public officials and agencies.

The Act covers the NSW public sector, and the agencies covered by the Act include government departments and agencies, local councils, statutory bodies and public universities.

The NSW Ombudsman is the lead oversight agency for the PID Act.

NSW Ombudsman, Paul Miller said: “Good government relies on public officials speaking up when they witness, or otherwise become aware of, wrongdoing in the public sector. A strong ‘speak up’ culture that encourages public officials to report wrongdoing is important to ensure the integrity of the public sector.

Under the new PID Act, agencies will have a duty to protect those who speak up from detriment, take active steps to maintain the confidentiality of reports and take appropriate action to investigate or otherwise deal with reports.

As the oversight body for the PID Act, my office has a role in providing information, advice and training to help agencies and public officials navigate the Act. We also audit and monitor how agencies exercise their functions under the PID Act and provide reports and recommendations about proposals for legislative and administrative change.” Mr. Miller said.

A range of guidance materials and resources for agencies and public officials on the new PID Act are available on the website.