Ethics and code of conduct for contractors
Public officer obligations for contractors
If you're engaged as a contractor, you're considered a public officer under South Australian law. This means you're required to meet the same ethical and legal standards as our employees. These standards aren’t just formalities — they help us maintain public trust and deliver services responsibly.
You can learn more about this requirement in the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 2012 (ICAC Act)
Your legal responsibilities as a contractor
You are legally required to:
- comply with the ICAC Act, the Code of Ethics for the South Australian public sector (the Code of Ethics) and the Public Sector (Honesty and Accountability) Act 1995
- report any conduct reasonably suspected to be corruption, misconduct, or maladministration
- adhere to any directions and guidelines published by ICAC.
What it means for you
As a contractor working with us, you're expected to follow the standards of professional conduct outlined in Code of Ethics . These standards help ensure that everyone working with us acts with integrity, fairness and accountability.
You are expected to:
- Handle official and sensitive information with care and confidentiality
- Identify and manage any conflicts of interest
- Report unethical behaviour
- Use public resources responsibly and only for authorised purposes
- Follow all relevant laws, including avoiding any criminal activity
Contractors are required to complete SA Water’s Ethical Behaviour for Contractors training module. Once you have completed the training, take a screen shot of your confirmation of completion and email it to CMSSupport@sawater.com.au.
These principles apply to all contractors, regardless of the size or type of business you represent.
If you don’t meet these obligations, it may be considered non-compliance. This could lead to your contract being terminated or your conduct being referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) or other authorities.
To meet the standards set out in the Code of Ethics contractors must make fair and impartial decisions. This includes taking active steps to avoid situations where personal interests could interfere with professional responsibilities.
If you believe you have a conflict of interest (real or perceived) please complete the Conflict of Interest Declaration form. If you need assistance completing the form, please contact ProcurementTeam@sawater.com.au.
We’ll connect you with the right SA Water representative to guide you through the process.
A conflict of interest occurs when your financial interests, personal relationships, or outside activities affect, or appear to affect, your ability to:
- deliver services independently and to the expected standard
- act in the best interest of SA Water.
Even if the conflict is only perceived, it must be declared.
A perceived conflict of interest is when someone outside of your situation, like a reasonable member of the public, might think that your personal interests could influence your decisions or actions at work.
Declaring a conflict
If you believe you have a conflict of interest, or think one could be perceived, you must let us know.
Please email ProcurementTeam@sawater.com.au. We’ll connect you with the right SA Water representative to guide you through the process.
Once declared, we’ll work with you to manage the conflict appropriately. Any information you provide will be used only to assess and manage the situation. We follow all privacy and record-keeping requirements.
Not declaring a conflict of interest is a serious matter. It may be considered misconduct or a breach of:
- the ICAC Act
- the Code of Ethics
- the Public Sector (Honesty and Accountability) Act 1995
This could result in your contract being terminated or referred to the relevant authorities.
If you have any questions or you are unsure whether something counts as a conflict of interest, please contact your SA Water contract manager.
As part of your work with us, you may access official records and personal information. Managing this information correctly is critical. It helps maintain public trust, ensures legal compliance, and protects people’s privacy.
To meet your obligations, you must:
- comply with the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) and SA Water’s internal policies and procedures about privacy, data and confidentiality
- use personal information only for its intended purpose
- never share personal information with unauthorised people or for personal benefit
- report any actual or suspected privacy breaches immediately to your SA Water contract manager.
If you’re unsure about how to manage information correctly, please speak with your SA Water contract manager for guidance.
As a contractor working with SA Water, you have a legal responsibility under the ICAC Act, to report any behaviour you reasonably suspect to be corrupt, dishonest, or harmful to public resources.
- Corruption - this includes bribery, threats against public officers, or abuse of public office.
- Misconduct – this means intentional and serious breaches of a code of conduct by a public officer while performing their duties.
- Maladministration - this means the poor management or misuse of public money or resources by a public officer performing their official functions.
If you need to report corruption, misconduct or maladministration, you can:
- Submit a disclosure to SA Water using our Public interest disclosure form
- Email us at PID@sawater.com.au
- Contact the Office for Public Integrity.
All reports are handled confidentially by the Responsible Officer for Public Interest Disclosures. If you’re unsure whether something should be reported, speak with your SA Water contract manager. More information about public disclosures and how you can make a report can be found on our Public interest disclosure page.