ANZSOG and the National Anti-Corruption Commission: combining theory and practice to better respond to geographies of corruption in Australia and beyond

One of the difficulties in combatting corruption is its ability to cross jurisdictional and sectoral boundaries. Earlier this month, ANZSOG, in collaboration with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), brought together integrity practitioners from across Australia to explore how the corruption risks and integrity challenges vary across places, sectors and jurisdictions – and how collaboration can be strengthened to address them.  

The half-day hybrid workshop on the ‘Geographies of anti-corruption in Australia and beyond’ was led by ANZSOG Academic Fellow and ANU academic Associate Professor Grant Walton.  

NACC Commissioner Paul Brereton introduced the workshop and emphasised the importance of responding to the increasingly complex geographies of corruption: 

Corruption transcends borders and other jurisdictional boundaries.  It does not discriminate based on geography, ethnicity, or ideology. Those who would engage in corrupt conduct are not constrained by lines on a map.  Notably, the proceeds of corrupt conduct can flow electronically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; the electronic evidence of it resides on servers abroad; and the perpetrators as well as assets may be located in other countries. 

In turn, Commissioner Brereton noted that this means:  

We must recognise that combatting corruption requires collaborative efforts beyond our jurisdictional borders, while remaining respectful of the sovereignty and domestic law of each nation and state.  That is easier said than done, because concurrently we must recognise that there are diverse political and legal systems, which comity demands that we respect. Anti-corruption agencies, and co-operation between us, can play a pivotal role in addressing these issues.   

Commissioner Brereton outlined the efforts by the NACC to achieve this since the agency’s establishment in July 2023, included “[i]mproving networks and collaboration at state, federal and international levels, along with civil society groups and academia”. 

The workshop focused on a novel framework for thinking about and responding to the increasingly complex geographies of corruption. Drawing on insights from political geography literature, a new framework – the ‘relational place’ framework – highlights the importance of understanding and responding to corruption through three key components: networks, places, and scale. 

This approach contrasts with established practice focused on the strength of national institutions—parliaments, courts, watchdog agencies, and civil society—often treating them as isolated pillars operating within fixed national boundaries. While such traditional approaches have value, they do not account for how corruption and integrity operate across jurisdictions and sectors, and how networks of relationships among institutions and actors shape outcomes. As A/Prof Walton explained, ‘we often think about integrity as being grounded in institutions—what if we thought more about it as grounded in places and relationships?’. 

The relational place approach suggests the need to design flexible integrity networks across jurisdictions and understand cross-border and cross-sector dynamics, recongise how​ corruption risks vary from place-to-place and how they are connected to broader networks, and build alliances with integrity actors and organisations that operate at different scales​.  

How we understand and respond to corruption depends on the frame we use 

The workshop focused on three key questions regarding how policy makers and practitioners currently engage with, what challenges they face, and how to better respond to the geographies of corruption. Discussions highlighted the need for stronger cross-agency coordination through shared data systems, a national clearing house that can coordinate responses, and clearer legislative guardrails for information sharing. Participants also emphasised the importance of more locally attuned approaches that recognise how context shapes integrity challenges and empower communities while aligning priorities within and across local, state and national levels. 

A post-workshop participant evaluation showed that respondents highly valued the opportunity to reflect on practice, share cross-jurisdictional insights, and connect theoretical ideas with operational experience. Several noted that the relational place framework provided a valuable foundation for strengthening inter-agency collaboration, and would help their organisation redirect resources to improve responses. 

The workshop elicited a wealth of insights and reflections with more to continue to progress impact into practice. This includes an upcoming ANZSOG Research Insights paper with recommendations and masterclass on the topic in 2026. If you’d like to know more about this work, please reach out to g.walton@anzsog.edu.au.  

More information about ANZSOG’s Research Fellows program and the current Academic Fellows is available here.