Professional Conduct Coordinator

Council has an independent Professional Conduct Coordinator (PCC) function that investigates serious complaints relating to Council staff and services.

The PCC is Council’s Public Interest Disclosures Officer, and works in line with the Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994.

The PCC may investigate serious complaints relating to any Council staff member, contractors, consultants or volunteers across four areas:

Alleged corrupt conduct: the dishonest or partial exercise of official functions by a public official
Maladministration: action or inaction of a serious nature that is contrary to law, unreasonable, unjust, oppressive, improperly discriminatory, or based wholly or partly on improper motives
Serious and substantial waste of public money: the uneconomical, inefficient or ineffective use of resources that could result in the loss or waste of local government funds
Breaches of Council’s Code of Conduct that relate to alleged corrupt conduct, maladministration, or the serious and substantial waste of public money.

The PCC’s role does not cover the following issues:

Grievance and dispute procedures as set out in the Local Government State Award
Performance management issues
Complaints that are already being investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the NSW Ombudsman, NSW Police, the Minister for Local Government or Office of Local Government
Matters relating to the dismissal of an employee or industrial disciplinary issues
Matters where there is an existing remedy or right of appeal that is considered more appropriate. However, some issues may still be investigated if the remedy or right of appeal would not be likely to address corrupt behaviour, maladministration or serious and substantial waste of public money.
Matters concerning the actions or conduct of private individuals who were not Council employees or Councillors at the time the issue occurred.
Complaints about the Lord Mayor or PCC. These should be referred to Council’s General Manager
Complaints about the General Manager. These should be referred to the Lord Mayor.

When a complaint is received, it is first assessed by the PCC function to determine if it falls within the scope of matters that may be investigated by the PCC.

The PCC may:

Refer the matter to Council’s General Manager to approve the commencement of an investigation.
Refer the issue to another section of Council for action if it is outside the PCC’s scope. The PCC office will advise the complainant that this has occurred.
Recommend to the General Manager an alternate course of action.

Members of the community, Council staff or Councillors can make a complaint to the PCC.

To make a complaint about suspected unethical, fraudulent or corrupt behaviour, email the office of the Professional Conduct Coordinator, providing details of the complaint.

Alternatively, you can also report issues directly to ICAC.