The option to report to IBAC was recently added to the council’s Fraud Prevention Policy following a review earlier this year. The Protected Disclosure Policy and Guidelines was also updated following a review. 

The policies were formalised at the council’s September meeting and outlines what is considered a protected disclosure, how to make one and how council will treat anyone who makes a protected disclosure.

Protected disclosures can be made against council employees, councillors or the organisation as a whole.

A council spokesman said the updates would bring the council’s Fraud Prevention Policy and Protected Disclosure Policy in line with current legislation. 

“The Fraud Prevention Policy has recently been reviewed for the first time since 2010. Between now and the previous review, the Protected Disclosures Act came into operation in February 2013, replacing the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001,” he said. 

“The Protected Disclosures Act includes IBAC as a reporting option and as such as been included in council’s Fraud Prevention Policy to reflect this.

“It also brings it into line with council’s Protected Disclosure Policy and Guidelines – which was also reviewed and adopted at the September Council meeting.”

The spokesman also said the policy now states: “Employees who suspect fraud have an obligation to report it by notifying Manager People and Culture – Council’s Protected Disclosure Co-ordinator – or IBAC.” 

The council spokesman said the updates aligned with its strategic objectives of good governance through leadership.

The policies were unanimously adopted at the meeting with no debate.

The policy updates come after congratulations from Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz on the council’s governance following an Independent Commission of Inquiry into Ararat council’s governance in 2017.

The policy reviews are separate to actions taken as part of the Inquiry’s outcome and form part of ongoing reviews taking place throughout 2018.