Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO)

NSWPC is committed to the Safety of our Members. Supporting references include:
APF Member Protection Policy and Code of Conduct
APF Reporting Hotline

The NSWPC MPIO is listed here.

Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO)

  • Receive complaints
  • Follow NSWPC and APF constitutional procedure to deal with complaints as per the APF disciplinary handbook. Ideally the Grievance Officer is someone who:
  • Communicates effectively
  • Has a good working knowledge of the NSWPC & APF constitutions, Combined Club & Council Regulations, APF Operational Regulations, APF Disciplinary Procedure Handbook
  • Is well organised
  • Can maintain confidentiality on relevant matters

APF Role Description

There should be seven volunteers nationally who hold these roles.  The person should be a full term, life member or honorary life member of APF and each should reside in a different council Area.

MPIOs should have an excellent knowledge of the APF Member Protection Policy (available on APF website)

As this policy is currently under review, an MPIO is welcome to contribute to this review and future reviews to ensure that the policy continues to meet APF needs.

Some of the Prohibited Conduct (in an APF context) can include

  • Abuse—including physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual abuse
  • Bullying and the inappropriate use of power, where actions are repeated and deliberate
  • Harassment including unwanted behaviours which are reasonably likely to cause harm
  • Sexual harassment and sexual offences
  • Discrimination including both deliberate and inadvertent, direct or indirect discrimination based on Protected Characteristics, such as
    • Age
    • Disability
    • Race or Ethnicity
    • Sex, sexual orientation or gender identity
    • Religion
  • Victimisation of anyone who chooses to make a complaint, or plans to
  • Vilification  based on Protected Characteristics

The MPIOs are some of APF’s front line troops to help improve member safety and wellbeing. They can provide advice, support and assistance to victims and other persons affected by prohibited conduct. If an MPIO feels that a law has been broken, sometimes it may be appropriate to advise the member to lodge a police report.  The policy have powers that APF doesn’t and sometimes that is the correct path.

MPIOs may assist a victim in lodging a formal or informal complaint (form available on the APF website) as well as to collect and collate evidence, witness statements etc.  An MPIO must keep confidentiality unless the express written permission of the victim(s) is obtained.

In cases where MPIOs find themselves conflicted or not in a position to provide appropriate advice in their own council area, they should feel free to call upon another MPIO to help out.  In this case council boundaries are not barriers to assisting members.

A formal complaint, with as much accompanying evidence as possible (opinions and speculation are not usually considered as evidence) can be lodged with the CEO.  At some point after that, a determination will be made whether it is or isn’t an APF matter.

Just because something occurs between two APF members does not automatically make it an APF matter.

These things are sometimes determined by a Review Tribunal as there are grey areas to consider.

Training

In the first instance, MPIOs should complete the module here and advise the APF contact officer at contactofficer@apf.com.au when that is completed.

This will be followed up in early 2026 with APF specific training.  The Board will be meeting in February and a more detailed Member Protection Policy is expected to follow that meeting.

Gender Equity in Governance Targets

By no later than 1st July 2027, ASC and NSW Government desire Australian sport to have achieved:

· 50% of all board directors are women and/or gender diverse
· 50% of chairs are women and/or gender diverse
· 50% of specified sub-committee members are women and/or gender diverse

In NSW, a 40:40:20 gender balance is recognised as a pathway to compliance and helps account for odd numbered Boards & people identifying as non-binary.

NSWPC DIVERSITY PLAN 

(a) NSWPC recognises that diversity in skydiving benefits the organisation, the sport and all of our members:

(i) Diversity within the organisation and within its governance and management (including volunteers) directly supports the aims of NSWPC, and

(ii) Diversity is crucial for attracting, retaining and motivating directors, employees, members and volunteers from the widest possible pool of available talent.

(b) NSWPC is committed to diversity at all levels;

(c) NSWPC recognises that diversity not only includes gender diversity but also includes matters of age, disability, ethnicity, marital or family status, religious or cultural background, sexual orientation and gender identity;

(d) NSWPC is committed to having a properly functioning and diverse organisation. Accordingly discrimination, harassment, vilification and victimisation cannot and will not be tolerated;

(e) NSWPC will ensure that recruitment and selection practices at all levels (from the Council downwards) are appropriately structured in order that a diverse range of candidates are considered and that there are no conscious or unconscious biases that might discriminate against certain candidates;

(f) NSWPC will identify and implement programs that will assist in the development of a broader and more diverse pool of skilled and experienced Council Members, and volunteers and that, over time, will prepare them for advancement within the organisation and/or the sport;

(g) NSWPC recognises that stakeholders that have roles within the organisational (female and male) at all levels may have domestic responsibilities and adopt flexible work practices that will assist them to meet those responsibilities;

(h) NSWPC shall report key performance indicators that measure achievement of diversity objectives.

Review. The Diversity Plan is managed by the NSWPC MPIO.