Keep Calm and Comply! – How you support our legal compliance culture

Editorial note: This article was updated in November 2021

The University operates within legal and statutory requirements. Maintaining Legal Compliance is everyone’s responsibility.

But don’t be alarmed, the Legal Compliance Framework assists all personnel to identify compliance issues, understand how the law applies and sort out any problems that may arise.

Local Area Heads are responsible for monitoring compliance with legislation at a local level and promoting a culture of compliance within their faculty, school, branch or unit. Local Compliance Officers in each area assist the Local Area Head by watching out for potential non-compliance matters. They are also supported in this role by 10 University Compliance Owners (responsible for compliance with Acts that apply across the whole University) and Designated Specialist Officers (subject matter experts for particular Acts).

If you are a Local Area Head or manager there are some pro-active compliance actions you can take to help build a culture of compliance across the University.

• Be Alert
  Remind all personnel of their legal compliance obligations by:

1. Referring staff to their local area legal compliance webpage
2. Discussing your expectations about legal compliance at a team meeting (contact Legal & Risk Branch about providing a presentation on the Framework or specific legislation)
3. Encouraging everyone to subscribe to the Legal and Risk Branch Notices Blog - recent posts include drone and biosecurity compliance, and advice on new anti-bribery laws.

• Be Informed
  Notify all personnel and contractors of their obligations to protect the integrity of the University’s systems and reputation by:

1. Reporting Fraud and Corruption – the Integrity and Public Accountability webpages provide guidance
2. Meeting their legal obligations as “public officers” under the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act. Refer to Resources for Public Officers for more information.

• Don’t Be Alarmed
  Get in touch if you would like any further information. Legal and Risk Branch are on hand to provide advice on compliance obligations and risks or the impact of legislation on your operations.