Integrity Commission figures show that complaints from the public sector have spiked by 35 per cent since 2014-15.

Ninety-six complaints were received between July 1 last year and June this year, compared to 71 during the same period the year before.

But complaints from anonymous sources and the general public are both down.

And the Integrity Commission reports that just 26 Public Interest Disclosures – official reports filed about suspected wrongdoing in the public sector – have been filed since 2002.

In response to this, the Integrity Commission held a whistleblowing forum in Hobart earlier this month.

The event was well attended, with 40 attendees from 10 state service agencies, departments and authorities, two government business enterprises, four councils, and others.

Four heads of agency also attended.

The commission said last week that it hoped that forum’s success would encourage further discussion on the power whistleblowing.

The watchdog has also supported continued Australian government-funded research into the topic.

The commission said it was important that those who choose to report corruption in the Tasmanian public sector can do so with confidence.

In Tasmania the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2002 grants legal protection to whistleblowers.

The commission said it is important for the public to be aware of the legislation because there are issues that can only be identified by individuals within a particular public sector organisation.

Integrity Commission chief executive Michael Easton said the culture of silence around public sector misconduct needed to change.

“Our experience in the public sector is that people must feel enabled to say something and appropriately supported when they do.”