Fraud Awareness

Protected Disclosures

If your disclosure meets the requirements of the

offers

protection of your identity and any reprisals relating to

your disclosure (IBAC assesses and may investigate).

Disclosures may be made verbally, in writing,

or anonymously, and must be kept confidential.

You can make a disclosure:

Directly to IBAC (see contact details below)

Confidentially speak to Council’s Protected

Disclosure Coordinator/Officer, or if a Council

employee - your supervisor, manager or director

(or to the supervisor, manager or director of the

person you believe may be engaged in corrupt or

fraudulent behaviour)

Gather all the evidence you can and provide clear

details of the situation, but do not investigate the

matter yourself.

If your disclosure involves a Member of

Council (Administrator) you must contact

IBAC directly: Phone 1300 735 135 or online

www.ibac.vic.gov.au

Remember:

Fraud and corruption is serious and will NOT

be tolerated at Brimbank City Council.

If you suspect or see something unusual, tell the

right person so it can be confidentially investigated.

Read the policies and procedures or speak to the

Protected Disclosure Coordinator/Officer so you

know what rights, responsibilities and protections

are available to you.

It is a criminal offence to disclose information

relating to a Protected Disclosure. Council and

the whistleblower have a responsibility to keep

the disclosure confidential.

If your disclosure involves a Member of Council

(Administrator), you must contact IBAC directly.

Contact us

Brimbank City Council

Protected Disclosure Coordinator

Telephone:

9249 4053

Email:

confidential@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Post:

Attention: Protected

Disclosure Coordinator,

PO Box 70 Sunshine VIC 3020

(Mark CONFIDENTIAL)

Refer to Council’s website at

www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/fraudawareness

for more information, including contact details,

and policies and procedures relating to Fraud

and Protected Disclosures.

Brimbank City Council manages millions of dollars

of revenue and expenditure each year and billions

of dollars in assets. Council is responsible for proper

collection and spending of this money.

Brimbank City Council is committed to the highest level

of integrity and ethical conduct and to protecting its

revenue, assets and intellectual property from fraud.

There are measures in place to prevent, detect and

respond to fraud and corruption.

The Council, employees, volunteers, contractors and

agents of Council must act with integrity and must

never engage in fraudulent or corrupt conduct.

What is fraud and corruption?

Fraud

is any dishonest or deceptive act that

causes a financial loss to another, eg.

buy goods using Council funds for personal use

use Council credit card for personal purchases

create fake supplier accounts and invoices.

Common examples of fraud are:

theft of cash or funds

unauthorised use of credit card

theft of material or equipment

false invoicing

false expense claims

misuse of equipment

changing or misleading reporting

of financial information

sale or use of information for personal gain

misuse of position to gain personal advantage

tax evasion

money laundering.

Corruption

is where a person abuses a position

of trust for personal gain, or acts contrary to the

interests of the employer, eg.

use position at Council to assign contracts to

friend/family

accepts bribes/kickbacks in hiring or purchasing

misuse Council information or equipment.

Who is responsible?

The Council, employees, contractors, volunteers

and agents of Council have a responsibility to

act with integrity and refrain from corrupt or

fraudulent behaviour.

All employees, especially supervisors and managers,

are responsible for ensuring measures are in place

to prevent, detect and respond effectively to fraud

and corruption.

IBAC (the Victorian Independent Broad-based

Anti-corruption Commission) investigates serious

misconduct and is the clearing house for assessing

Protected Disclosures.

How to report?

What do you do if you suspect fraudulent

behaviour? What is your responsibility?

Fraud is unethical and against the law. You are

encouraged to speak up if you suspect fraud or

corruption.

Employees are required to report any breach of the

Code of Conduct, including fraud and corruption.

A member of the community that has any concerns

relating to fraud or corruption at Brimbank City Council

is encouraged to report that concern to Council or IBAC.

If the matter does not involve a Member of Council, an

employee may report their concerns to the supervisor,

manager, director or Council’s Protected Disclosure

Coordinator/Officers (contact details are available on

Council’s website).

A member of the community may report their concerns

to Council’s Protected Disclosure Coordinator/Officers or

IBAC (contact details are available on Council’s website).

Council will take all reasonable steps to protect your

identity, and protect you from any reprisals relating to

your disclosure. You should also take reasonable steps

to protect your identity and the disclosure.

Fraud is defined as:

dishonest activity causing actual or potential financial

loss to any person or entity including theft of monies or

other property by employees or persons external to the

entity and where deception is used at the time.

Australian Standard AS8001:2008

Corruption is defined as:

• dishonest activity where a director, executive,

manager, employee or contractor acts contrary

to the interests of the entity

• abuse of position of trust to achieve personal gain

• any conduct that is immoral, improper or dishonest

Australian Standard AS8001:2008