Chalky footprints leading into the Office of Public Integrity on level one, 55 Currie Street look ominously like a trail of evidence.

Two security guards look mildly surprised as InDaily enters the small foyer, which we happened upon by chance as no signage has yet been put up around the building.

It’s the first working day for South Australia’s long-awaited corruption fighting body.

Fifty-five Pirie Street is a large office building with an vast internal atrium, which is completely empty save for a few tradesmen at 9.30am. As well as some private businesses it also houses the Australian Federal Police and a few other government departments.

The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander is friendly in a suit and red tie sitting in his makeshift office, which will eventually become the OPI’s meeting room when his office – a few floors higher – is finished in a few weeks.

“It’s an exciting day to set up an office from a blank piece of paper,” Lander tells InDaily. “The Attorney-General’s Department has provided a project team which has done an excellent job, and the staff here and all of us are quite excited.”

The OPI’s nondescript office at 55 Currie St.

South Australia has waited years for its own ICAC, and Lander says he doesn’t know what to expect on day one.

“There were some complaints lodged over the website on Sunday when it went up, and there have been a few made this morning and I’ve received a couple from the Ombudsman,” he says.

“I’d expect people to come in but how many I’ve got no idea.”

When InDaily enters the office, security officers are talking to an OPI staffer about what to do if an irate person comes in with a complaint.

“Some people are quite stressed by the time they come to a complaints authority so there might be some people who may have some difficulty managing that stress – but we’ll have to manage those people,” Lander says.

He is expecting the number of complaints to ramp up.

“We encourage the publicity because we want people to know we exist and there is a office which will listen to their complaints and investigate them.

“Some people who would complain would have complained to the police ombudsman or ombudsman before this, but we’ll have to manage that. I think it’s likely there will be a rise in complaints, but to what degree I don’t know.”

Lander gave an extensive interview to InDaily earlier this year, in which he detailed how his office will work, as well as the constraints that will be placed on reporting the work of the OPI and the commissioner.

The ICAC website has more details – including an online complaints form.