PID guidelines for agencies
These guidelines are designed to help agencies and their staff handle public interest disclosures under the PID Act.
Core concepts in the PID Act
This guideline will assist public officials in understanding the frequently used terms in the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (PID Act).
What is a public interest disclosure?
Overview of the PID Act, the types of PIDs under the Act and how a PID can be made.
What is serious wrongdoing? (Revised March 2026)
Information about the types of serious wrongdoing that can be reported under the PID Act.
Dealing with voluntary PIDs (Revised March 2026)
Guidance on agency responsibilities regarding voluntary PIDs.
Dealing with mandatory PIDs
What a mandatory PID is, how agencies should deal with them, and the protections.
Dealing with witness PIDs
What a witness PID is, how agencies should deal with them and the protections provided.
Dealing with anonymous and de-identified voluntary PIDs (Revised March 2026)
This guideline explains the difference between anonymous and de-identified voluntary PIDs and provides an overview of the features of each.
Deeming that a disclosure is a voluntary PID
Circumstances and factors to consider when deciding whether to deem that a report is a voluntary PID.
Protections under the PID Act
The protections available under the PID Act to the makers of voluntary, mandatory and witness PIDs.
Developing your PID Policy guideline (Revised March 2026)
This guideline contains a model PID policy (Model Policy) which agencies can adopt, as well as guidance on developing their PID policy based on the Model Policy.
Assessing a report of wrongdoing to identify if it is a voluntary PID
What an agency must do when they receive a disclosure that is or may be a voluntary PID.
Maintaining confidentiality when dealing with voluntary PIDs
Overview of the confidentiality requirements in the PID Act including PID handling strategies.
PIDs to Ministers, Members of Parliament and journalists (Revised March 2026)
Making a voluntary PID to an MP or journalist and what agencies should do if a person has made a disclosure to an MP or journalist.
Updating the makers of voluntary PIDs and providing supports
Outlines the minimum requirements on agencies for updating the maker of a voluntary PID.
Reporting to the Ombudsman (Revised March 2026)
Explains the reporting and notification requirements on agencies.
Entities and individuals providing services and exercising functions on behalf of an agency under contract or as volunteers
Guidance to agencies who engage contracted entities, individual contractors and volunteers.
Assessing and managing the risk of detrimental action
Under section 61(2) of the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (PID Act), agencies have a duty to take steps to assess and minimise the risk of detrimental action (other than reasonable management action) being taken against any person. This includes the maker of a voluntary public interest disclosure (PID) and a public official who is the subj...
Detrimental action offences and how to refer evidence of detrimental action offences (Revised March 2026)
This guideline explains elements of the detrimental action offence and how agencies can refer evidence of detrimental action offences to a relevant agency for investigation.
