Accountability and reporting
Accountability and reporting / Gifts and Benefits Register
Gifts and Benefits Register
In line with the APSC Guidance for Agency Heads – Gifts and Benefits, all agency heads are required to publicly disclose gifts or benefits accepted and valued at over $AUD100 (excluding GST). Reporting gifts and benefits accepted by agency heads in the performance of official duties helps to maintain public confidence in the integrity of APS agencies and the APS more broadly.
Agency heads must uphold and promote the APS Values and Employment Principles and abide by the Code. In doing so, the acceptance and declaration of gifts and benefits must be considered in the context of:
impartiality;
accountability;
ethical conduct;
behaving honestly and with integrity;
avoiding any conflict of interest; and
not improperly using the agency head’s duties, status, power or authority to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or an advantage.
Agency heads must update their register of all gifts and benefits accepted with a value of more than $AUD100.00 (excluding GST), within 31 days of receiving the gift or benefit. Where agency heads have not accepted any gifts during the reporting period, a ‘nil’ declaration must be included on the gifts and benefits register.
Registers must be published quarterly by 30 April, 31 July, 30 October, and 31 January each year.
Gifts/Benefits received – Current Periods
| Date received | Recipient | Description of Gift/Benefit/Occasion | Organisation | Estimated value in AUD (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Jul-24 | CEO | Australian Constructors Association 30th Birthday. Event attended by people in the infrastructure and construction industry which giving valuable networking opportunities. | Australian Constructors Association | $150 |
| 8-Aug-24 | CEO | Business class train tickets from Rome to Milan. Meeting with Ferrovie dello Stato on the train going from Rome to Milan. Business class train ticket which included access to the necessary meeting room for meeting to take place. | Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane | $200 |
| 21-Aug-24 | General Manager | Consult Australia Champions of Change 7th Annual Industry Lunch. Event was held by Consult Australia. They are an association that bring together businesses in design, advisory and engineering. They discussed the matter of gender equality in the workplace and what is the role of business leader to drive change. | Consult Australia | $265 |
| 5-Sep-24 | CEO | CfS 2024 Sydney Awards Gala Dinner. Invite was from SEC Newgate and Event was held by Committee for Sydney. | Committee for Sydney | $150 |
| 13-Sep-24 | CEO | Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. Event was held by IPA. Minister King was in attendance. | Infrastructure Partnerships Australia | $100 |
| 18-Sep-24 | General Manager | Leaders' Boardroom Lunch with David Gainsford, Deputy Secretary.The Leaders’ Boardroom Lunch Series is a rich program of exclusive boardroom lunches hosted by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia in partnership with members throughout the year. These boardroom style events are an important interface between our senior level membership and policy, business and political leaders across Australia. | Infrastructure Partnerships Australia | $150 |
| 23-Sep-24 | Board Chair and CEO | Deutsche Bahn taxi transport to DB operational control centre and HQ. Transport related to the tour of DB ECO HQ and operational centre in Berlin with presentation, tour and education on DB high speed rail. Taxi transported a group of people. | Deutsche Bahn (DB) | $100 |
| 24-Sep-24 | Board Chair and CEO | Industry Event with Alstom. Industry Event Alstom at Orangerie Charlottenburg. This event was an opportunity to network with Alstom’s senior management. Alstom is a marketer and developer of transport systems. They offer tramways, metros, suburban and regional trains, high-speed and very high-speed trains, locomotives and components. This event was not just HSRA focussed. | Alstom | $300 |
| 26-Sep-24 | Board Chair and CEO | Site visit to French HSR Network Operator SNCF, lunch included as part of visit. | SNCF | $150 |
| Date received | Recipient | Description of Gift/Benefit/Occasion | Organisation | Estimated value in AUD (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-Feb-24 | CEO | Ticket and three course meal with drinks. Event for rail industry. | Permanent Way Institute | $309.09 |
| Date received | Recipient | Description of Gift/Benefit/Occasion | Organisation | Estimated value in AUD (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-23 | A/g CEO | Dinner at Quay Restaurant as part of AusRAIL Plus Convention sideline activities. | Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Australia on behalf of the Mermec Group. | $150 |
| 24-Oct-23 | General Manager | Dinner at Quay Restaurant as part of AusRAIL Plus Convention sideline activities. | Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Australia on behalf of the Mermec Group. | $150 |
There were no gifts or benefits with an estimated value greater than AUD$100 (excluding GST) accepted by the Agency Head or officials of the High Speed Rail Authority during the reporting period.
Gifts/Benefits received – Previous Periods
| Date received | Recipient | Description of Gift/Benefit/Occasion | Organisation | Estimated value in AUD (excl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23-Apr-24 | CEO | Ticket to Gala Dinner. CEO was a guest speaker at the Transport Conference. | Engineers Australia | $163.64 |
| 9-May-24 | CEO | Breakfast, tea, coffee and keynote speaker plus Q&A event. Event for rail industry. | Permanent Way Institute | $145.45 |
| 7-Mar-24 | CEO | Executive Breakfast. Includes breakfast, coffee and keynote speaker, Josh Murray, Secretary Transport for NSW. Event was held by a rail infrastructure club. | Permanent Way Institute | $145.45 |
There were no gifts or benefits with an estimated value greater than AUD$100 (excluding GST) accepted by the Agency Head or officials of the High Speed Rail Authority during the reporting period.
