Making a complaint
Council recognises that from time to time, service delivery does not meet our required standards.
Council welcomes complaints as well as compliments, and will endeavour to use them as a tool to monitor and respond to customer expectations, and to improve services to ratepayers and residents.
In accordance with our Complaints Policy(PDF, 194KB), we aim to resolve complaints within 30 calendar days. Where the investigation will exceed 30 calendar days, we will contact you to discuss the need for additional time to complete the investigation.
Complaints must be in writing, and can be submitted using the Complaints Form(PDF, 60KB), or the online form. Complaints can be submitted:
Council defines a complaint as:
‘an expression of dissatisfaction with a Council policy, Councillor, procedure, staff member/s, fees
and charges, agents, quality of service, or the complaints-handling process itself’.
Not a complaint?
I want to lodge a service request.
A complaint is not a:
1. Insurance claim
2. Public Interest Disclosure (i.e. complaints about fraud and corrupt conduct; such complaints are
managed by the Public Interest Disclosure process, see Council’s Public Interest Disclosure Policy for
more details)
3. Planning objection (planning objections have an existing process for review, and appeal
details are available on Council’s website)
4. Local-laws dispute
5. Disputes about decisions to impose special rates or charges or the validity of an election
6. Feedback related to proposals for public comment (e.g. proposals for comment made under
section 223 of the Victorian Local Government Act 2020)
7. Matters over which Council has no jurisdiction or is not empowered to resolve
If you are still dissatisfied with the response received, you may request a review of your complaint by contacting the Victorian Ombudsman on (03) 9613 6222 or 1800 806 314.
The following gives a summary of the types of complaints the different oversight agencies are able to accept in relation to Local Government activities:
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Council’s Complaint Handling Policy
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Local Government Inspectorate
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Ombudsman
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IBAC – Independent Broad-based anti-corruption commission
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An expression of dissatisfaction with a Council policy, Councillor, procedure, staff member/s, fees
and charges, agents, quality of service, or the complaints-handling process itself.
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Complaints about Victorian Councils that relate to breaches of the Local Government Act 2020, for example,
- Conflicts of interest – relating to sections 127-131 of the Local Government Act
- Local government elections
- Misuse of position – section 123 of the Local Government Act 2020
- disclosure of confidential information – section 125 of the Local Government Act
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Complaints about decisions made by Council – such as service, communication, and compliance with polices, procedures or the way a council has managed a complaint.
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Corrupt conduct such as where allegations would relate to bribes, dishonesty or influence, committing fraud, misusing information or material acquired at work, conspiring to engage in corrupt conduct, or failure to declare a conflict of interest.
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Visit their website:
https://www.lgi.vic.gov.au/local-government-inspectorate
Call: 1800 469 359
Email: inspectorate@lgi.vic.gov.au
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Visit their website:
https://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/
Call: (03) 9613 6222
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Visit their website:
https://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/home
Call: 1300 735 135
Email: info@ibac.vic.gov.au
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