Public Statement

Evaluations of South Australia Police and the Department of Human Services

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Written by Commissioner Emma Townsend, Independent Commission Against Corruption

In August 2025, I announced that the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) would undertake a major project to examine the adequacy of whistleblower protections in South Australia and to assess the extent to which current arrangements encourage, support and protect those who speak up in the public interest.

Since that announcement, I have released a discussion paper seeking public input on these issues. I am grateful to the individuals and organisations who took the time to contribute, with 38 written submissions received.

To complement this stakeholder feedback, ICAC will now conduct evaluations of the practices, policies and procedures of two public authorities, South Australia Police (SAPOL) and the Department of Human Services (DHS), pursuant to sections 7 and 41 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 2012 (SA).

The evaluations will focus on how each agency receives, manages, and investigates complaints concerning corruption, misconduct, or maladministration – a vital step in assessing the extent to which whistleblower protections are effective in practice, not just on paper.

It is important to emphasise that SAPOL and DHS have not been selected due to any identified deficiencies in their existing arrangements. Rather, the agencies were chosen to provide practical case studies that can assist ICAC in developing recommendations applicable across the South Australian public sector.

Our findings will provide valuable insight into how current whistleblower protections function in real workplaces, identify any gaps or unintended consequences, and inform recommendations for strengthening the overall framework.

Terms of reference

The evaluations will examine whether each agency’s practices, policies and procedures:

  1. adequately and appropriately protect the identity of individuals who provide information about suspected corruption, misconduct or maladministration in public administration;
  2. adequately and appropriately protect those individuals from reprisals or other adverse action being taken because they have made a disclosure; and
  3. foster an environment in which the employees and officers of each agency feel encouraged and supported to report corruption, misconduct or maladministration.

The evaluations will also consider related issues, including how agencies balance the protection of whistleblowers with the need to take appropriate disciplinary action where required.

ICAC will share the outcomes of these evaluations as part of its broader Whistleblower Project report, to be tabled in SA Parliament later this year.

Learn more about the Whistleblower Project.

For media enquiries, contact media@icac.sa.gov.au or 0428 389 493.