Mandatory Notifications Bill passes Parliament

The Integrity Commission Amendment (Mandatory Notifications) Bill 2025 has passed the Parliament, reinforcing the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well being of children and young people.

The Bill implements Recommendation 18.11 of the Commission of Inquiry into the Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, as well as recommendations from the 2016 Independent Review of the Integrity Commission Act 2009 (the Cox Review).

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Guy Barnett, said the reforms introduce a mandatory requirement for principal officers of public authorities to notify the Integrity Commission where they suspect misconduct by a designated public officer.

“The safety and wellbeing of our children and young people is our highest priority,” the Attorney-General said.

“These reforms strengthen the Integrity Commission’s ability to oversee and monitor how allegations of misconduct and serious misconduct are dealt with across the public sector.

“They will also provide the Integrity Commission with greater clarity and flexibility in how mandatory notifications are managed.

“Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, we are delivering the important reforms necessary to keep our most vulnerable Tasmanians safe.”

The Bill enables the Integrity Commission to issue guidelines about the form, content and method of making a mandatory notification, as well as the types of matters and information that require notification.

It also establishes the options for how the Integrity Commission can manage a notification and enables them to seek progress reports on what action a public authority is taking or intends to take in relation to a mandatory notification.