IBAC Insights (newsletter)

As we approach the end of 2023, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the service of former Commissioner Robert Redlich who completed his non-renewable five-year term in December 2022. During his term, Commissioner Redlich was a dedicated advocate for integrity in the public sector and police and I recognise his tireless service and many achievements in the role. It has been a privilege to step in as Acting Commissioner this year and I look forward to welcoming our new Commissioner, Victoria Elliott, who will begin her term in mid-December 2023. I wish her every success in the role.

A major priority during my period as Acting Commissioner has been the finalisation and tabling of special reports on three long-running investigations: Operation Clara, Operation Daintree and Operation Sandon. Each of those reports received significant media coverage, drawing attention to the corruption risks identified by the investigations and the significant packages of reforms aimed at strengthening integrity in our State.

Travelling around Victoria, it’s hard to miss the extent of infrastructure work currently being done. Procurement of work on such a scale presents a range of corruption risks. As part of our corruption prevention function, IBAC worked with stakeholders including the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority to produce a research report and a suite of supporting materials on the corruption risks associated with such projects. These include practical resources such as ‘red flag’ checklists to assist the sector to learn from the research and to become more resistant to corruption.

Investigating and preventing police misconduct is a core focus of IBAC’s work under Victoria’s mixed civilian model of police oversight. We recently launched a pilot program to investigate police complaints involving vulnerable members of the community more promptly. Over the last 12 months, we have also made significant improvements to our processes for referring appropriate matters to Victoria Police and for reviewing the investigations conducted by them. I am very pleased with IBAC’s progress and commend Deputy Commissioner Kylie Kilgour and CEO Marlo Baragwanath for their leadership and commitment to this important part of our role. 

Release of Victoria Police’s responses to IBAC recommendations special report

As a result of investigations, research, and other work, IBAC makes recommendations to Victoria Police to help prevent police misconduct and corruption. Recommendations are one of IBAC’s most powerful tools to address and prevent police misconduct and corruption.  

This month IBAC tabled Victoria Police’s responses to IBAC recommendations special report, which analysed how Victoria Police responded to 104 recommendations made by IBAC between January 2016 and March 2022.   

Victoria Police accepted and implemented approximately 90 per cent of IBAC’s recommendations. This has led to improvements across a wide range of Victoria Police’s activities including how it manages people in custody to ensure they are lawfully detained, the testing of officers for drugs and alcohol, and providing aftercare to people affected by police capsicum spray. 

However, the special report also identifies that there are further opportunities for Victoria Police to reduce misconduct vulnerabilities that relate to the recording and management of conflicts of interest, notetaking and statement making, and its reporting after use of force incidents. 

We are seeking legislative changes, which includes allowing IBAC to publicly report its recommendations to Victoria Police more frequently. The current legislation allows for their publication solely through special reports.

IBAC 2022/23 Annual Report

In October 2023, IBAC tabled it’s 2022/23 annual report. IBAC’s focus during this period was to support the public sector and Victoria Police to increase their capability in preventing corruption and misconduct.  

We delivered 157 prevention initiatives, which included special reports and research reports, engagements and external events, and resources and campaigns. 

In this period, we increased our emphasis on delivering prevention initiatives and resources for the public sector, Victoria Police, and community. 

In 2022/23 we began 11 investigations and 18 preliminary inquiries into public sector corruption and police misconduct. We also completed 14 investigations and 12 preliminary inquiries, with 18 investigations and preliminary inquiries still in progress at the end of the 2022/23 financial year. 

Read IBAC CEO, Marlo Baragwanath’s reflections on the 2022/23 annual report.

Release of Operation Sandon special report

July 2023 saw the tabling of one of IBAC’s most significant reports to date, the Operation Sandon special report. 

This was a landmark investigation which exposed corruption vulnerabilities in Victoria’s planning decision-making processes at both state and local government levels. 

The special report included significant and far-reaching recommendations to tighten the loopholes that allow corruption and misconduct to occur between councils and property developers.

But our work on a special report does not stop after it is tabled in Parliament. Educating the public sector and local government about corruption risks and ways to prevent corruption and misconduct from occurring is a big part of ensuring the key findings from our reports are understood. 

Since the report’s release IBAC Deputy Commissioner David Wolf has presented at nearly 20 forums   including to councils, councillors, council CEOs, and government organisations. The level of engagement across the local and state government sectors shows there is a keen interest in our community to help detect, prevent, and eradicate corruption.

Welcome to new IBAC Commissioner Victoria Elliott

On 17 October 2023 the Victorian Government announced the appointment of Victoria Elliott as IBAC’s new Commissioner. 

Ms Elliott was the Deputy Public Interest Monitor, in charge of scrutinising and testing applications made to courts by law enforcement and integrity agencies such as IBAC, to determine if those applications are in the public interest. Ms Elliott has extensive experience working in law enforcement and investigative agencies. She previously worked as Managing Lawyer at the Office of Police Integrity, which then transitioned into IBAC, where Ms Elliot oversaw the establishment of IBAC’s first legal and compliance team.  

Ms Elliott will commence in her role at IBAC on 16 December 2023. 

Thank you

As this will be my last Acting Commissioner’s message, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to other integrity organisations that we have worked closely with, including the Victorian Ombudsman and the Victorian Electoral Commission. I also acknowledge the cooperation of Victoria Police in much of our work on addressing police misconduct. 

Thank you to CEO Marlo Baragwanath for strong support during my period as Acting Commissioner, as well as my Deputy Commissioners Kylie Kilgour and David Wolf, the broader IBAC executive team and my executive assistant Heather Ameen. 

Finally, I would like to thank the employees at IBAC, and all of those outside the organisation that help us fight corruption and misconduct week after week. I have been well supported during my tenure as Acting Commissioner and I am proud of the outcomes we have achieved together.