IBAC Insights (newsletter)

While our investigations and special reports often gain the most attention, a lot of important work happens as part of our prevention and education role. Preventing corruption is an essential part of IBAC’s work; and our teams have been busy engaging with stakeholders and sharing insights and information about important integrity issues.

With Victorian local government elections coming up in October, we have been running regional forums on corruption risks in local government and public interest disclosures. I encourage you to read IBAC Deputy Commissioner David Wolf’s piece on local government integrity issues in this edition. It discusses IBAC’s role in preventing public sector corruption, why the corruption risks identified in Operation Sandon are relevant to all local councils and highlights the importance of prioritising integrity in all aspects of an organisation’s culture.

In May, I also had the opportunity to speak alongside some of my integrity sector colleagues for Law Week as we shared the visions for our agencies and discussed how we work separately and together.

The work that follows our investigations and special reports is equally important in strengthening integrity in Victoria. On that note, I am encouraged to see progress on a range of reform issues over the past few months. This has included the introduction of the Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Bill 2024 which seeks to establish a Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Commission, Parliamentary Integrity Adviser and a Parliamentary Ethics Committee, as recommended in Operation Watts. The past month has also seen the passing of the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Integrity) Act 2024 which will mandate the adoption of a model code of conduct for councillors and regular governance and integrity training, as recommended in Operation Sandon.

Appointment of new IBAC CEO

I was pleased to recently announce the appointment of Alison Byrne to the role of IBAC Chief Executive Officer, who will commence on 19 August. Alison joins IBAC with 25 years’ experience in criminal law and regulation and has most recently held the position as CEO of the County Court of Victoria.

Alison’s considerable experience leading regulatory agencies across diverse policy areas, including in building and trades regulation and approvals, elections and campaign finance and professional standards for police and veterinarians will be an asset to IBAC and support our mandate to prevent and expose public sector corruption and police misconduct in Victoria.

I look forward to welcoming Alison to IBAC on 19 August 2024.

IBAC Annual Plan 2024/25 and strategic focus areas

In late June we tabled our Annual Plan outlining IBAC’s priorities for the 2024/25 financial year. 

Following detailed data analysis and engagement with our stakeholders, this plan identifies key police misconduct and public sector corruption risks to help target our prevention and exposure work for the year ahead.

Over the next 12 months we will focus on five strategic focus areas:

1. High risk police stations and specialist police teams
2. Excessive force, including use of force on people at risk (inclusive of use of force by public sector)
3. Police responses to family violence incidents and predatory behaviour perpetrated by police
4. High-risk public sector agencies, including those managing high-value matters
5. Corrections and youth justice.

A key part of our police oversight role involves reviewing the outcomes of Victoria Police’s internal investigations to ensure they are completed thoroughly and fairly.

Our targeted focus for this year includes IBAC reviewing Victoria Police investigations related to police body worn camera use, use of force relating to non-fatal police shootings, family violence incidents and predatory behaviour perpetrated by police.

Recognising the challenges of increasing prisoner populations and the unique and inherent corruption risks associated with the youth justice system, corrections and youth justice are a new focus for our prevention work. We will also continue to focus on high-risk public sector agencies including those that hold more valuable information and those that are responsible for high funding or investments.

IBAC Operation Perseus investigation

On 7 August, IBAC searched a number of premises under warrant and two employees of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) were charged with criminal offences relating to the assessment of builder registrations in exchange for a financial benefit. These actions against key persons of interest are a result of IBAC’s Operation Perseus – an investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct at the VBA related to the approval of builder registrations for people who did not hold the necessary qualifications and experience to be registered.

Given IBAC’s significant powers, the community rightly expects that they will be cautiously and diligently exercised, and that proper consideration is given to the wellbeing and safety of all who are affected by the exercise of these powers. IBAC takes these obligations seriously and reports regularly to relevant state and Commonwealth bodies on its use of powers.

This investigation remains ongoing.

Focused Police Complaints Pilot  

From October 2023 - April 2024, IBAC piloted a dedicated team to assess and investigate single incident complaints from members of communities at a higher risk of experiencing police misconduct.

The objectives of the pilot were to: 

• improve transparency and complainant understanding of how IBAC investigates police misconduct
• trial an accelerated pathway for police misconduct complaints from vulnerable communities
• better engage with these communities and understand their respective needs and concerns.

Over the six-month period, the team assessed 94 complaints and notifications and commenced 24 police personnel misconduct investigations.

On average, our investigations took 63 days to complete and the pilot has so far resulted in IBAC making 13 formal recommendations to Victoria Police, with some investigations still in progress. This is an encouraging result.

As part of our 2024/25 Annual Plan, we will build on the success of the pilot to embed this streamlined and targeted approach to investigating single incident complaints about Victoria Police, which are made by members of communities at a higher risk of experiencing police misconduct.

You can learn more about the pilot in this edition’s podcast.

The Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference

The annual Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (APSACC) was held in Darwin for the first time from 29–31 July.

At the conference, I joined the nine other commissioners of the independent anti-corruption and integrity agencies around Australia to announce the Fundamental Principles of Australian Anti-Corruption Commissions.

The 12 principles provide a framework for legislation and policy governing anti-corruption and integrity commissions. Each principle is considered fundamental to the ability of an anti-corruption or integrity commission to undertake its functions independently and effectively. View the 12 fundamental principles in more detail.

Victoria Elliott
IBAC Commissioner