Public interest disclosure

In South Australia, public interest disclosure, previously known as “whistleblowing”, involves reporting certain types of information that are important to the public. These include:

• Environmental and health information: Information about a substantial risk to the environment or public health and safety
• Public administration information: Information about corruption, misconduct or maladministration in public administration

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018 (PID Act) encourages and facilitates these disclosures by ensuring proper procedures are in place and providing protection to people making the disclosures. Under the PID Act, everyone is protected when disclosing environmental and health information, but only public officers receive protections when disclosing public administration information (see ‘Definitions’ for the definition of a ‘Public Officer’).

SA Water’s Public Interest Disclosure procedure is available as a PDF here.

Why should I make a disclosure?

Making a disclosure is important because South Australians deserve a water utility that delivers trusted water services, ensuring a sustainable and healthy future. By making a disclosure, you will be contributing to:

• protecting the public interest
• promoting accountability
• encouraging ethical behaviour.

Regardless of the outcome of your report, the information you share with us is valuable.

What will happen to my disclosure?

When you make a disclosure, it will be received by a Responsible Officer. This is a senior member of staff, designated by the Chief Executive, who has undergone training approved by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

Once submitted:

• your disclosure will be acknowledged, and you will be allocated a report number (unless you choose to remain anonymous)
• if you provide contact information, you will be contacted within 30 days
• if any action is to be taken, reasonable steps will be taken to notify you.

For anonymous disclosures, while we will not be able to provide direct updates, we will still take appropriate action based on the information provided.

How do I submit a disclosure to SA Water?

When making a disclosure to SA Water it is important to provide as much information as possible, including:

• names and positions of the people involved
• when and where the conduct/matter occurred
• how you became aware of the matter
• names and contact details of any witnesses
• other details (including documents or other evidence).

You can choose to submit your disclosure using one of the following options. All these options will ensure that your information is handled confidentially and securely.

Role of the SA Water Responsible Officer

• Keep all disclosures confidential, with secure storage and private conversations.
• Inform you about the status of your disclosure while maintaining confidentiality (unless you have chosen to remain anonymous).
• Protect your identity unless necessary for investigation or with your permission (unless you have chosen to remain anonymous). · Provide information about protections under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2018.
• Address any concerns about potential detriments from the disclosure (unless you have chosen to remain anonymous).