If you have received a public interest disclosure, you must follow the Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines.

This includes notifying the OPI of a disclosure as soon as practicable after you receive it. You can do this online.

Form 1 - Receipt of a disclosure

If you are taking action on a disclosure, you also need to tell us the outcome. You can do this online.

Form 2 - Outcome of action taken

If you have referred the disclosure to another authority, they must complete Form 2.

You should provide the authority with your OPI reference number so that the two forms can be linked.

What information do I need to provide?

Guideline One and Two of the Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines outline the information required by the OPI.

You will need to provide:

  • the date the disclosure was received
  • the name and contact details of the recipient of the disclosure
  • a summary of the content of the disclosure
  • the assessment made of the disclosure
  • the action taken by the recipient of the disclosure including:
    • whether the disclosure was referred to another relevant authority, public authority, public officer or other person
    • if the disclosure was referred to another relevant authority, public authority, public officer or other person:
      • the date of the referral
      • the identity of the relevant authority, public authority, public officer or other person to who the disclosure was referred
      • the manner of referral
      • the action to be taken by that relevant authority, public authority, public officer, or other person (if known).
    • if no action was taken by the recipient of the disclosure, the reason why no action was taken.
    • whether the identity of the informant is known only to the recipient of the disclosure or if the identity of the informant has been communicated to a relevant authority, public authority, public officer or other person (and if so, the reasons why such communication was made).

Form 1 - Receipt of a disclosure

You will need to provide:

  • the unique reference number issued by the OPI upon notification of the original disclosure
  • the name and contact details of the notifier
  • the name and contact details of the person or authority responsible for taking the action
  • what (if any) findings were made in respect of the disclosure
  • the nature of the action taken (if any)
  • the outcome of any action taken (if any)
  • whether the identity of the informant was disclosed to a person other than the original recipient of the disclosure
  • whether the informant was notified of the action taken, and if so, when and how that notification was made.

Form 2 - Outcome of action taken

How is a PID notification different to a report?

If you make a PID notification to the OPI, you are telling the OPI about the action - if any - you are going to take on the disclosure.

The OPI will not conduct an assessment or investigate the disclosure.

You may decide that the appropriate action to take on the disclosure is to tell the OPI. In that case, you must make a separate report to the OPI.

Your report will be registered separately from your PID notification, and you will receive two reference numbers.