We develop a strategic plan each year to establish:
- key activities we'll undertake to meet them
Our plan also includes an analysis of:
- our capability to deliver what we promise
- a forecast of demand for our services
- how we'll monitor and manage risk.
Our annual report includes information about our financial outcomes and our performance against our objectives and measures. We produce our annual report at the end of each financial year. Past Annual Reports are available on the transparency portal Publications.
Annual Report 2024-25 PDF | 4MB
We publish our budget and direction statement in May each year. It outlines what we aim to achieve and the expected performance results for our programs. Our budget statements appear in the Australian Government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources portfolio.
Audit committee and charter
As our accountable authority, the Director General has established our Audit Committee in accordance with:
- section 45 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act)
- section 17 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule).
The Audit Committee Charter lays out our Audit Committee's:
- reporting and administrative arrangements.
Audit Committee Charter - 18 December 2025 PDF | 303KB
Our AI Transparency Statement explains how we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how we comply with the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government. (Template language)
AI Transparency Statement January 2026 PDF | 306KB
Annual legal services expenditure
Our total legal services expenditure in the 2024-25 financial year was:
Legal services expenditure* | Amount
(AUD) (excl GST)
---|---
External services | $1,300,575
Internal services | $1,551,921
Total | $2,852,496
Ministerial Statement of Expectations and Regulator Statement of Intent
This Ministerial Statement of Expectations has been issued to IP Australia by our responsible Minister, Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, to provide greater clarity about the relevant government policies, objectives and priorities the Minister expects us to reflect in our work.
Our Regulator Statement of Intent responds the Minister’s letter, outlining how we intend to meet those expectations and demonstrate progress.
These statements should be read alongside our Strategic Corporate Plan and Annual Report, which include detailed information about our planned and actual performance, mapped to the regulator performance principles.
IP Australia Ministerial Statement of Expectations Letter PDF | 2MB Statement of Intent – IP Australia to Minister Ayres PDF | 577KB
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), is an Australian Government statutory agency created by the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
Under this Act, Commonwealth public sector employers that employ 100 or more people are required to submit an annual report on their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) to WGEA as a part of the Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Equality Reporting program.
IP Australia provides this Employer Statement to provide context to its gender pay gap information and confirm its commitment to a diverse workforce, ensuring a range of talent pathways are available to people of all genders and acknowledge the importance of fairness and equity for all our employees.
The data that the WGEA collects relates to women and men. Due to the limited amount of data available, we are currently unable to provide comprehensive insights on gender representation beyond male and female categories.
IP Australia welcomes a diverse workforce and is committed to inclusive practices for female, transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary gender identities supported through the Gender Action Plan 2025-27.
WGEA Employer Statement PDF | 267KB
Our activities throughout the year are also guided by the following frameworks:
Our customer service charter outlines our commitment to our customers.
Cost recovery implementation statement
Our cost recovery implementation statement shows how we cover some of the costs of administering IP rights.
Cost Recovery Implementation Statement 2024-25 (Budget update 2025-2026) PDF | 916KB
The regulator performance framework aims to reduce unnecessary or inefficient regulation. We complete a self assessment against this framework each year.
Regulator Performance Framework Report 2019-2020 PDF | 227KB
Senate Order for entity contracts
The Senate Order for entity contracts requires entities to develop an internet listing twice a year that identifies contracts entered into during the preceding calendar or financial year, valued at or above $100,000 (GST inclusive), along with details relating to each of those contracts.
Our Senate Order report is available at AusTender.
Public interest disclosure scheme
Public officials can use the public interest disclosure (PID) scheme to report suspected wrongdoing in the Australian public sector.
The scheme facilitates the investigation of wrongdoing and maladministration in the Commonwealth public sector and protects disclosers and others from reprisal. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (PID Act) underpins the PID scheme.
- suspected illegal conduct under a Commonwealth, State or Territory law
- corruption - PIDs involving serious or systemic corruption issues may be referred by our agency to The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
- scientific research deception like fabrication, falsification or plagiarism
- wasting public money or wastage of public property
- unreasonable danger to health and safety
- conduct that is a danger to the environment
- conduct which may be grounds for disciplinary action resulting in termination of a person’s engagement or appointment.
Generally, a discloser must be a current or former public official of the Commonwealth. This includes:
- public servants (ongoing, non-ongoing and casual)
- service providers under a Commonwealth contract
- staff of Commonwealth companies
- temporary employees engaged through a recruitment agency
- people deemed to be a public official by an authorised officer.
Protections provided to a discloser and others under the PID Act
The person making the PID, called the ‘discloser’, and other public officials involved gain certain protections.
- The discloser and witnesses are immune from civil, criminal and administrative liability (including disciplinary action) that might otherwise arise from making the disclosure or participating in the investigation. This does not apply if the person knowingly makes a statement that is false or misleading, or for a disclosure involving their own conduct.
- The discloser and others are also protected from reprisal actions or threats of reprisal action as a result of a PID, such as being dismissed, other injuries to their employment and damage to the person’s property, reputation, business or financial position. IP Australia has a duty to protect disclosers and other public officials that belong to IP Australia from reprisals. Disclosers and other public officials should raise any concerns about reprisal action with an authorised officer so the risk can be managed.
The discloser’s identity must be kept confidential. The discloser should be careful to not act in a way that is inconsistent with keeping their identity confidential, such as identifying themselves as a discloser to persons who are not involved in the management of the PID.
A discloser must make the PID following the process below to ensure that the protections apply.
To gain the protection of the PID Act you must disclose your concerns to an authorised person.
You can make a PID about our agency by contacting an authorised officer. Our authorised officers are the Director General and the Deputy Director General
You can also make a PID through a supervisor, if you’re an IP Australia staff member, and they will pass it on to an authorised officer.
The PID scheme is designed to facilitate internal disclosures and investigations. In limited circumstances, you may want to make a PID to someone outside the Australian Government. If you're considering making such a disclosure, it is important to seek independent legal advice to see if you are protected under the Act.
What information to include*
You don’t have to follow a specific format to make a disclosure.
A disclosure can be made:
- anonymously or openly (if you choose to remain anonymous it may limit our ability to investigate the disclosure)
- orally (in person or by phone)
- in writing (by email or hardcopy).
Our agency prefers PIDs in writing. Please try to cover the following information in your PID:
- your name and contact details (although you may choose to remain anonymous)
- details of the alleged wrongdoing
- who you think committed the alleged wrongdoing
- when and where the alleged wrongdoing occurred
- any relevant evidence surrounding the alleged wrongdoing
- whether you did anything in response to the alleged wrongdoing
- others who know about the alleged wrongdoing and any action they have taken
- whether you believe your information is a PID under the PID Act
- if you’re concerned about possible reprisals as a result of making your disclosure
- if you have any supporting correspondence or documentation and if you can provide copies.
Please do not attempt to investigate the allegations yourself or to obtain information which you do not have authorisation to access in your day-to-day duties.
Our Director General decides how the PID scheme operates in our agency. Read details in the PID procedure:
IP Australia public disclosure procedure January 2024 PDF | 5MB
Breaches of the code of conduct
As per section 13 of the Public Service Act 1999, everyone who works at IP Australia Is required to adhere to the APS (Australian public service) Code of Conduct. Suspected breaches will be dealt with as per our procedures for determining breaches of the Code of Conduct and for determining sanction.
Procedures for determining breaches of code of conduct and for determining sanction PDF | 390KB
You can request copies of information held by our agency at anytime. Here's how to make a freedom of information (FOI) request, and the other ways of accessing our documents and historical data.
Our customer service charter outlines what our customers can expect when interacting with us and how we aim to provide high levels of service.
Our agency heads and staff occasionally accept gifts and benefits while undertaking official duties. To ensure transparency, we document them in a gift register.
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Statement text © IP Australia, reproduced for transparency tracking (most agency content is CC BY 4.0 — check the original for specifics).