Declare an interest
Employees may be required to declare personal interests (including interests of their partners or dependants) that have a bearing, or may be perceived as having a bearing, on carrying out their role properly and impartially. See section 88 and 182 of the Public Sector Act 2022 (the Act).
Certain statutory office holders may also be required to declare interests under section 40E of the Integrity Act 2009 (the Integrity Act).
Heads of public sector entities who are not chief executives of departments or statutory office holders to whom the Integrity Act applies, should comply with relevant policy requirements as reflected in this web page.
If a conflict of interest exists, it must be appropriately managed.
| What to declare | What not to declare |
|---|---|
| Business partnerships | Ordinary non-interest-bearing cheque accounts |
| Organisational memberships (subject to any exclusions as set out below under 'What not to declare’ or included in the relevant form) | Credit card accounts |
| Shareholdings in public and private companies | Credit accounts held with department stores |
| Family and business trusts and nominee companies | Personal use motor vehicles |
| Bonds, debentures and like investments Savings and investment accounts with banks, building societies and like organisations | Collections (e.g. stamp collections) |
| Real estate including private residential property | Household and personal effects |
| Directorships in or employment by a public or private company or other business entity (e.g. sole trader) | Trustee responsibilities you, your partner or dependants have as executor or trustee but not a beneficiary, of a deceased estate, shareholdings, real estate and beneficial interests |
| If you, your partner or dependants are beneficiaries of a deceased estate, shareholdings, real estate and beneficial interests | Memberships of industrial organisations. |
| Income received from employment with the Crown, if this income is not received in relation to the position for which this declaration is being made | |
| Other substantial sources of income from employment (except as an employee of the Crown), business undertakings or investments | |
| Other interests that may result in, or be seen to result in, a conflict of interest, including indirect pecuniary interests and contingent pecuniary interests | |
| Other relevant assets | |
| Liabilities including mortgages, hire purchase arrangements, personal loans and overdrafts in your name, your partner's name or your dependants’ names. |
Under Declaration of interests – Chief Executives of departments (Directive 05/24) and Guide to declaring interests , you must declare your interests:
- within 1 month of starting your role
- as soon as possible after a change in interests become known to the chief executive (a change to interests may also occur as a result of significant changes in the official responsibilities of the chief executive).
Complete the Declaration of interests form - chief executives .
Submit your declaration to the Public Sector Commissioner and your departmental Minister.
If you are a statutory office holder as defined in Schedule 1 of the Integrity Act, action is required if one of the following applies.
You started your role within the last month
Complete the Declaration of Interests - Statutory heads form and submit it to the relevant minister and/or parliamentary committee.
There are changes in your interests or official responsibilities
Complete the Variation of Interests - Statutory heads form as soon as possible and submit it to the relevant minister and/or parliamentary committee.
Annual declaration time
If there are no changes, complete the Annual review of declaration of interests: no variation form and submit it to the relevant minister and/or parliamentary committee.
See section 40D of the Integrity Act for a definition of relevant minister and section 40E of the Integrity Act for further detail on arrangements that apply to these statutory office holders.
If you are a chief executive of a public sector entity (other than a department or statutory office listed in Schedule 1 of the Integrity Act), action is required if one of the following applies.
You started your role within the last month
Complete the Declaration of Interests - Statutory heads form and submit it to the minister administering the Act under which you were appointed and/or the relevant parliamentary committee.
There are significant changes in your interests or official responsibilities
Complete the Variation of Interests - Statutory heads form and submit it to the minister administering the Act under which you were appointed and/or the relevant parliamentary committee, within one month of any significant change in the interest or your official responsibilities.
Annual declaration time
If there are no changes, complete the No variation Statutory heads form and submit it to the minister administering the Act under which you were appointed and/or the relevant parliamentary committee.
If you are a senior executive or equivalent, action is required under the Declaration of Interests – Public sector employees excluding chief executives (Directive 03/24), if one of the following applies.
Directed to declare your interests
Complete the Declaration of interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form as soon as possible and submit it to your chief executive or relevant delegate.
Directed to revise your interests due to changes
Complete the Variation of declaration of Interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form as directed and submit it to your chief executive or relevant delegate.
Directed to provide an annual declaration
If there are no changes, complete the Annual review of declaration of interests: no variations form and submit it to your chief executive or relevant delegate.
Alternatively, if you are a senior executive or equivalent, you must take action under the Declaration of Interests policy - Senior Executive Service and Equivalent Employee including Statutory Office Holders, when any the following applies.
Not directed, but must declare your interests as a matter of policy
Within 1 month of starting your role, complete the Declaration of Interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form and submit it to your chief executive or the relevant delegate.
Within 1 month of any significant change in interests or official responsibilities
Complete the Variation of declaration of Interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form as soon as possible and submit it to the relevant chief executive or relevant delegate.
Annually
If there are changes, complete the Variation of declaration of Interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form .
If there are no changes, complete the Annual review of declaration of interests: no variations form and submit it to your chief executive or the relevant delegate.
If you are a public sector employee, action is required if one of the following applies. If you’re unsure if either of the following applies to you, see Declaration of Interests – Public sector employees excluding chief executives (Directive 03/24), or speak to your supervisor or HR team.
Directed to declare your interests
Complete the Declaration of interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form and submit it to your chief executive or relevant delegate.
Directed to revise your interests due to changes
Complete the Variation of declaration of Interests – public sector employees (excluding chief executives) form and submit it to your chief executive or relevant delegate.
You can access chief executive declarations of interest online.
For access to information declared in relation to these chief executives’ partners and dependants and public sector employees, and their partners and dependants, you need to request access under either the:
- Information Privacy Act 2009 (for your own information)
- Right to Information Act 2009 (for someone else’s information).
If you request access to someone else’s information, the employing agency will consult with the person who made the declaration before releasing it.
Information may be released if it is in the public interest to do so. However, it is unlikely that the release of information to an outside party would be in the public interest without supporting evidence. Examples justifying the release of information in the public interest may include evidence suggesting an employee has participated in misconduct or exhibited negligent, improper or unlawful behaviour.