Works of Art Loaned by the NGV - National Gallery of Victoria

Other statutory matters
Pecuniary Interests
All members of the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of
Victoria as well as the Gallery’s officers and employees who, with
reference to the offices of employment, are required to complete
a Declaration of Pecuniary Interests during the financial year,
have done so.
Gallery Solicitors
The Council of Trustees is grateful to its solicitors Howie &
Maher for providing advice and assistance throughout the year.
Building Maintenance
During 2001–02, the NGV continued to occupy temporary
premises at 285–321 Russell Street, Melbourne and 112
Macaulay Road, North Melbourne while major refurbishment
works are undertaken at 180 St Kilda Road.
The Building Services department managed a number of small
projects within these buildings.
Consultancies
No consultants were engaged during the period under review.
Whistleblowers Protection Act
In 2001, the Victorian Parliament passed the Whistleblowers
Protection Act. This provides protection from retribution for people
who seek to make disclosures of malfeasance against a range
of statutory office holders, public servants and staff and Council
members of state authorities. The Act makes disclosure of the
identity of a whistleblower, or undertaking action detrimental to
a whistleblower, a criminal offence.
The National Gallery of Victoria has established procedures to
facilitate the making of disclosures. This policy is designed to
implement the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 in the NGV,
and does not replace existing NGV grievance processes. It is to be
followed only if a staff member, student or member of the public
elects to make a disclosure of suspected or alleged corrupt or
improper conduct and seeks protection under the Act.
Policy and Guidelines of Disclosures under the Whistleblowers
Protection Act
1. Statement of support to whistleblowers
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is committed to the aims
and objectives of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 (the Act).
It does not tolerate improper conduct by its employees, nor the
taking of reprisals against those who come forward to disclose
such conduct.
The NGV recognises the value of transparency and accountability
in its administrative and management practices, and supports
the making of disclosures that reveal corrupt conduct, conduct
involving a substantial mismanagement of public resources, or
conduct involving a substantial risk to public health and safety or
the environment.
The NGV will take all reasonable steps to protect people who
make such disclosures from any detrimental action in reprisal
for making the disclosure. It will also afford natural justice to the
person who is the subject of the disclosure.
2. Purpose of these procedures
These procedures establish a system for reporting disclosures
of improper conduct or detrimental action by the NGV or its employees.
The system enables such disclosures to be made to the
designated Protected Disclosure Coordinator (PDC). Disclosures
may be made by employees or by members of the public.
These procedures are designed to complement normal communication
channels between managers and employees.Employees
are encouraged to continue to raise appropriate matters at any
time with their managers. As an alternative, employees may make
a disclosure of improper conduct or detrimental action under the
Act in accordance with these procedures.
3. Objects of the Act
The Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 commenced operation
on 1 January 2002. The purpose of the Act is to encourage and
facilitate the making of disclosures of improper conduct by
public officers and public bodies. The Act provides protection
to whistleblowers who make disclosures in accordance with the
Act, and establishes a system for the matters disclosed to be
investigated and rectifying action to be taken.
4. Definitions of key terms
Three key concepts in the reporting system are improper
conduct, corrupt conduct and detrimental action. Definitions of
these terms are set out below.
4.1 Improper conduct
A disclosure may be made about improper conduct by a public body
or public official. Improper conduct means conduct that is corrupt,
a substantial mismanagement of public resources, or conduct involving
substantial risk to public health or safety or to the environment.
The conduct must be serious enough to constitute, if proved,
a criminal offence or reasonable grounds for dismissal.
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