Our organisation

Established by the ICAC Act, ICAC's mandate is to identify, investigate, and prevent corruption in South Australian public administration. This includes state and local government operations, South Australia Police, the State Parliament and the judiciary.

ICAC plays a lead role in South Australia’s public integrity scheme.

ICAC is headed by a Commissioner who is supported by an executive team and hardworking employees.

Commissioner - Emma Townsend

Emma Townsend commenced as the Commissioner in February 2025. She is a lawyer with over 20 years’ experience and has extensive knowledge in relation to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences as well as in the South Australian public integrity framework.

Her career began as a Judge’s Associate in the Supreme Court of South Australia before continuing as a prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. She has specialised in prosecution, and policy and legislative reforms related to domestic violence and child sexual abuse before taking on the role of Director of the Office for Public Integrity.

The Commissioner has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) awarded from the University of Adelaide and has been appointed for a term of five years.

Deputy Commissioner - Cassandra White

Cassandra White commenced as Deputy Commissioner in May 2026. She brings more than 25 years of legal experience to the role, along with a deep understanding of the South Australian public sector and an appreciation of the challenges and responsibilities faced by public authorities.

Ms White is widely recognised for her expertise in employee misconduct and integrity matters. Prior to ICAC, she was an Executive Solicitor in the Crown Solicitor’s Office, where she provided legal advice on complex matters involving public administration and conduct.

Leadership Team

Director Investigations – Christine Baulderstone

Christine spent her early career as a Secondary Physical Education teacher before joining the South Australian Police in 1989.  She has worked in General Patrols and the Criminal Investigation Branch and was appointed an Officer of Police in 2007.  Since that time, Christine has managed SAPOL’s State Crime Prevention Branch, Audit and Risk Management section and served as Operations Manager Eastern Districts.  As a Superintendent she has managed SAPOL’s Anti-Corruption Branch, Ethical and Professional Standards Branch, Police Academy, Communication and Engagement Branch and Public Protection Branch.

She had significant input into the management of Major Emergencies relating to COVID-19, 2022 Murray River flood and 2022 Extreme Weather Event as the Statewide Manager of Public Information.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration.

Organisational structure

Our vision

A state in which the community can be confident that public institutions maintain the highest standards of integrity.

Our purpose

To serve the public interest by promoting integrity in public administration through the investigation of corruption and proactive prevention and educational initiatives.

Our independence

ICAC is independent. We are not subject to the direction of any person or entity in exercising our powers and carrying out our functions.

Our Values

Our commitment to diversity, access and inclusion

We are committed to access and inclusion for every person who works in or interacts with ICAC.

We are currently consulting on ICAC’s draft Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2026-2029 (PDF). The plan aims to:

• remove barriers in how we engage with communities and deliver our functions
• improve the accessibility of information, communication, events and public-facing resources
• better understand and address the needs of people with disability when interacting with ICAC
• support an inclusive workplace for current and future staff with disability

Once you’ve read the draft, you can:

• Complete a survey via the YourSAy website
• Email your feedback to: enquiries@icac.sa.gov.au
• Request a phone call by emailing: enquiries@icac.sa.gov.au

Consultation closes Thursday 23 July 2026.

The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2025-29 articulates the Commissioner’s commitment to understand, build and be accountable for diversity and inclusion within the organisation. The Strategy establishes diversity and inclusion goals across six diversity streams: gender identity, LGBTIQ+, disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultural and linguistic diversity, and age diversity.

Website accessibility

As part of ICAC's commitment to accessibility, we have recently undertaken a website accessibility audit through Vision Australia and are currently working towards full compliance with WCAG 2.1 specification.