Complaints Handling Policy and Guidelines

The Department of Planning & Infrastructure is committed to an accessible, fair and equitable complaints handling process where we work together with our customers and the community to drive business decisions and improvements.

In line with the Australian Standard for Complaints Handling (AS ISO 10002-2006) the Department will:

• seek feedback and suggestions for improvement proactively
• welcome complaints from customers who are dissatisfied with our decisions, actions or services
• provide accessible, transparent and accountable processes
• recognise customer feedback and complaints as opportunities to build knowledge and improve services
• provide courteous, professional, quality service.

The Department will apply these principles as follows:

Visibility  - we will place information about how and where to complain on the Department’s website

Accessibility  - we will:

• provide complaint mechanisms which are customer friendly and flexible in order to meet the needs of all customers
• seek feedback and suggestions in order to build knowledge and improve services proactively
• welcome complaints from customers who are dissatisfied with our decisions, actions or services

Responsiveness  - we will:

• acknowledge and resolve complaints promptly
• address complaints in accordance with their urgency
• inform complainants of the progress of their complaint
• assess and resolve each complaint as quickly as possible
• resolve complaints at the local level wherever possible

Objectivity  - we will:

• address each complaint in a sensitive, fair, transparent, equitable, objective, professional and unbiased manner through the complaints handling process
• operate from the view that a person who makes a complaint is entitled to a review of the issues raised and a considered response
• investigate complaints about staff members impartially and independently, and provide each staff member with an opportunity to respond to the complaint
• encourage staff members about whom complaints have been made to learn from the complaints handling process and to develop a better understanding of the perspective of the person making the complaint

Participation  - we will involve customers in the complaint resolution process

Service excellence  - we will build a culture of customer service excellence through leadership, knowledge, empowerment, skills and processes

Improvement  - we will use customer feedback to improve processes and services continually

Confidentiality  - we will handle all complaints confidentially to avoid prejudicing any investigation or causing any unnecessary embarrassment to innocent people

Complaints and feedback  - we will welcome complaints, compliments and suggestions

Definition of complaint  - we will treat a matter as a complaint where it:

• is an expression of concern, dissatisfaction or frustration with the quality or delivery of the business of the Department or the conduct of an employee, or
• alleges misconduct or corruption on the part of a Departmental employee which may involve issues of lack of probity or other matters which have the potential, amongst other things, to seriously compromise the Department’s professional reputation, and
• does not involve dissatisfaction about decisions of the Department for which there is an established or formal right of review.

Complaints and feedback

The Department welcomes your feedback, including complaints, compliments and suggestions. We value your right to complain. If you are dissatisfied with our service:

• First try to resolve the issue with the staff member you are dealing with.
• Speak to that staff member’s manager if you are not satisfied.
• If you are still not satisfied, or if the above suggestions are not appropriate in the circumstances, write to the Director General.
• You may complain verbally or in writing to any officer or office of the Department or to the Minister or the Minister’s office.
• You may complain to external bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Complaints may also be lodged with external bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission against Corruption.

Confidentiality

All complaints will be handled confidentially to avoid prejudicing any investigation or causing any unnecessary embarrassment to innocent people.

Type of complaints

Generally, complaints can be about:

• failure to act
• dissatisfaction with decision-making processes
• performance in relation to how a decision was made
• unexplained or unreasonable delays in the making of a decision
• not responding to an issue
• unreasonable delays in responding
• communication problems
• incorrect or misleading advice
• staff behaviour such as being rude, abrupt or aggressive.

• section 123 of the EPA Act permits any person to bring legal action to enforce a breach of the legislation, and can be used where there is a "complaint" that a Departmental decision or action has breached the legislation
• a statutory right of appeal to the Information Commissioner or the Administrative Decisions Tribunal in relation to decisions under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

Acknowledgement and resolution of complaints

The receipt of each complaint will be acknowledged in writing within five working days of receipt of the complaint. Where possible, all complaints will be resolved within 20 working days of this acknowledgement. If this is not possible the complainant will be informed of an estimated resolution date.

Contact us

See Contact Us.