Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog finally has teeth. These are its new powers

September 24, 2026 — 6:50pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Victoria will finally have an anti-corruption watchdog with the authority and powers it needs to do its job after the parliament on its last sitting day before the state election agreed to the most substantial changes to IBAC since its inception.

The long-awaited reforms, supported by the government, the Greens and the opposition, give the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission a broader remit to investigate corruption across the public sector, greater use of public hearings to expose and deter wrongdoing, follow-the-dollar powers, and protection against politically motivated appointments.

Together, they represent the state’s most significant integrity reform since 2012, when IBAC was first established as a core election promise of the then Baillieu government.

“With the passage of these reforms, Victoria finally has a fit-for-purpose integrity commission,” Centre for Public Integrity chief executive Catherine Williams told The Age.

“The expansion of IBAC’s jurisdiction and its power to hold public hearings, as well as the conferral upon it of power to follow the money, are significant reforms that have been long-fought for. There of course remains more to do, but the significance of what has been achieved this week is momentous.”

Forget political dust-ups – some of parliament’s best work never makes the front page

Chip Le GrandState political editor

State political editor

These are changes that successive IBAC commissioners and integrity advocates have spent years arguing for. Greens MP Tim Read and Stephen Charles, KC, a judge,........

© The Age