Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current Acts(1) For the purposes of this Act—
"public body" means, subject to this section—
(a) a public sector body within the meaning of section 4(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004 ;
(b) a body, whether corporate or unincorporated, established by or under an Act for a public purpose, including a university;
(c) the Electoral Boundaries Commission constituted under the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act 1982 ;
(d) a Council;
(e) a body that is performing a public function on behalf of the State or a public body or public officer (whether under contract or otherwise);
(f) any other body or entity prescribed for the purposes of this definition;
S. 6(1) def. of public officer amended by Nos 37/2014 s. 10(Sch. item 85.3), 16/2016 s. 162(1), 27/2017 s. 58, 9/2020 s. 390(Sch. 1 item 56.2).
"public officer" means, subject to this section—
(a) a person employed in any capacity or holding any office in the public sector within the meaning of section 4(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004 ;
(b) a person to whom a provision of the Public Administration Act 2004 applies as a result of the application of Part 7 of that Act;
(c) an ongoing employee or temporary employee in the teaching service under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 ;
(d) a judicial employee employed under Division 3 of Part 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 ;
(e) a Ministerial officer employed under Division 1 of Part 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 ;
(f) an electorate officer within the meaning of the Parliamentary Administration Act 2005 ;
(g) a Parliamentary adviser employed under Division 2 of Part 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 ;
(h) a Parliamentary officer within the meaning of the Parliamentary Administration Act 2005 ;
(i) a member of Victoria Police personnel;
(j) a responsible Minister of the Crown;
(k) a member of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council;
(l) a Councillor within the meaning of section 3(1) of the Local Government Act 2020 ;
(m) a member of Council staff employed under the Local Government Act 2020 ;
(n) a judge, a reserve judge, a magistrate, a reserve magistrate, a coroner or a member of VCAT;
(o) an associate judge or a judicial registrar;
(p) a Crown Prosecutor;
(q) the Chief Crown Prosecutor;
(r) the Director of Public Prosecutions;
(s) the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor or the Administrator of the State;
(t) the Auditor-General;
(u) the Ombudsman;
(v) the Electoral Commissioner;
(va) the Parliamentary Budget Officer;
(w) the holder of any other statutory office or any other prerogative office;
(x) any other person in the service of the Crown or a public body;
(y) a person that is performing a public function on behalf of the State or a public officer or public body (whether under contract or otherwise);
(z) a person who holds, or a person who is a member of a class of persons who hold, an office prescribed to be a public office for the purposes of this definition;
(za) an employee of, or any person otherwise engaged by, or acting on behalf of, or acting as a deputy or delegate of, a public body or a public officer;
"public sector" means the sector comprising all public bodies and public officers.
(2) The following are not a public body or a public officer for the purposes of this Act—
(a) the IBAC;
(b) an IBAC Officer;
(c) a Public Interest Monitor;
(d) the Office of the Special Investigations Monitor;
(e) the Special Investigations Monitor appointed under section 5 of the Major Crime (Special Investigations Monitor) Act 2004 ;
(f) the Victorian Inspectorate;
(g) a Victorian Inspectorate Officer within the meaning of section 3 of the Victorian Inspectorate Act 2011 ;
S. 6(2)(h) substituted by No. 1/2014 s. 68.
(h) a judicial member of the Courts Council within the meaning of the Court Services Victoria Act 2014 ;
S. 6(2)(i) inserted by No. 1/2014 s. 68, substituted by No. 16/2016 s. 162(2).
(i) a court;
S. 6(2)(j) inserted by No. 16/2016 s. 162(2).
(j) an investigating panel;
S. 6(2)(k) inserted by No. 16/2016 s. 162(2).
(k) a member of an investigating panel.
(3) In determining if a function is a public function the factors that may be taken into account include—
(a) that the function is conferred on the body or person by or under a statutory provision;
(b) that the function is of a regulatory nature;
S. 6(3)(c) amended by No. 2/2019 s. 113(a).
(c) that the body that performs the function is a company (within the meaning of the Corporations Act) all of the shares in which are held by or on behalf of the State;
S. 6(3)(d) inserted by No. 2/2019 s. 113(b).
(d) that the body is publicly funded to perform the function.
(4) To avoid doubt—
(a) the factors listed in subsection (3) are not exhaustive of the factors that may be taken into account in determining if a function is a public function; and
(b) the fact that one or more of the factors set out in subsection (3) are present in relation to a function does not necessarily result in the function being a public function.
(5) The fact that a body or person receives public funds does not of itself make that body or person a public body or public officer for the purposes of this Act.
S. 7 (Heading) amended by No. 2/2019 s. 50(1).
S. 7 inserted by No. 85/2012 s. 85.