Report a concern to the Commission

As a first step, you should consider raising your concern directly with the registered organisation. It may be something they can address.

If you are not satisfied with the organisation’s response, or if you are not comfortable doing so, you can raise your concern with the Commission or another relevant agency if you have not already done that.

Check if your concern is one that the Commission can investigate, and whether there are other government agencies that are more appropriate to handle your concern. You do not need to use the word 'whistleblower' to be protected. But it may help the agency receiving the concern to recognise its importance.

If you wish to report your concern to the Commission, you can use our report a protected disclosure template to assist you. This template will help you provide relevant information.

Have the following information ready before you make a report:

• Details of the conduct you allege (who, what, when, where, how)
• Evidence to support the conduct you allege, including details of any witnesses, minutes of meetings, internal policies and procedures, etc.
• Any steps you have already taken to raise the allegations with the registered organisation

All concerns received by the Commission are initially assessed by a Commission staff member who understands the protected disclosure scheme.

If the matter is about disclosable conduct, it will be allocated to one of our authorised officials or may be referred to another, more relevant, agency to investigate.

The timeframes for the Commission to deal with a protected disclosure are:

• within 14 calendar days of receiving the disclosure, making best endeavours to allocate the disclosure to an authorised official; and
• within 90 calendar days of the disclosure being allocated, the investigation must be completed, unless the General Manager grants an extension of time.

The authorised official may request further information from the discloser, the registered organisation or from other parties. 

If you report a concern you can ask to remain anonymous. However, you will not be contacted with updates on the investigation.

If you provide your name and contact information, the Commission will update you when:

• the concern is allocated to the authorised officer and the investigation commences
• an extension of time is granted (where applicable)
• the investigation is completed
• the investigation is discontinued or not further investigated.

The registered organisation may be contacted as part of the investigation.

Details of the concern may be shared with the organisation so that they are able to answer the allegations made against them. In those circumstances, it is possible that information about your concern could lead to your identity becoming known, whether or not your name is disclosed.

There is no absolute guarantee of anonymity.