To:

The Honourable Vickie Chapman
Deputy Premier
Attorney-General
Minister for Planning and Local Government

This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

JODEEN CARNEY
Commissioner

1 September 2021

From the Commissioner

About the office

Our Purpose

The Office of the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity (OCEO) is responsible for the administration of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (the Act).

Our Vision

A State whose citizens embrace and support inclusion, diversity, fairness, and equal opportunity

Our Values

Excellence, Accountability, Respect

Our functions, objectives and deliverables

Pursuant to section 11 of the Act:

(1) The Commissioner must foster and encourage amongst members of the public informed and unprejudiced attitudes with a view to eliminating discrimination on the grounds to which this Act applies.

(2) The Commissioner may institute, promote or assist in research, the collection of data and the dissemination of information relating to discrimination on the grounds to which this Act applies.

(3) The Commissioner may make recommendations to the Minister as to reforms, whether of a legislative nature or otherwise, that the Commissioner believes will further the objects of this Act.

As at 30 June 2021

organisational chart

During 2020-21 the following changes were made to the office and some of its functions:

  • The partnership with the University of Adelaide to supervise PhD students concluded
  • Responsibility for the administration of the Chiefs for Gender Equity project was transferred to the Department for Human Services
  • The Gender Equality and Respect (including White Ribbon Workplace reaccreditation) project concluded.

The Hon Vickie Chapman MP, Deputy Premier and Attorney-General is the State’s principal legal advisor to the government and responsible for the administration of justice.

The Attorney-General is a member of Cabinet and responsible for:

  • specific legislation and the state's legal system
  • developing and implementing policy
  • legal action relevant to the state government.

On 29 July 2020, the Attorney-General also became responsible for the Planning and Local Government Ministerial Portfolio.

Nil – the Commissioner is a statutory appointment.

Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA)

The office's performance