What are an agency’s public interest disclosure obligations?
Chief executive officers (CEOs) of public sector entities have obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 to ensure that:
- the entity has a management program for Public Interest Disclosures (PIDs), in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure standards
- PIDs made to the entity are properly assessed, investigated and actioned
- public officers who make PIDs are given appropriate support
- public officers are protected from reprisals.
PID Standards
Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, the Queensland Ombudsman has made three standards about the way in which agencies are to deal with PIDs.
The following information is designed to assist entities meet their statutory obligations.
Self-Assessment audit
A part of the Ombudsman’s oversight function includes monitoring agencies for their compliance with the PID Act and Standards.
In May 2025, the Ombudsman invited agency CEOs to complete the 2025 Self-Assessment audit. The audit was designed to:
- measure compliance with the PID Act and Standards
- identify areas of improvement and
- broadly inform the Ombudsman of potential training and support needs.
The PID 2025 Self Assessment audit snapshot (PDF 312.4KB) provides a summary of key results.