Local Government Act 2020

A Council must develop and maintain a complaints policy that includes—

a process for dealing with complaints made to the Council; and

a process for reviewing any action, decision or service in respect of which the complaint is made; and

a discretion for the Council to refuse to deal with a complaint which is otherwise subject to statutory review; and

the prescribed processes for dealing with complaints about the Council; and

the prescribed processes for internal review of complaints made to a Council; and

the prescribed processes for exercising the discretion referred to in paragraph (c); and

any other matter prescribed by the regulations.

A review process must provide for a review that is independent of—

the person who took the action; and

the person who made the decision; and

the person who provided the service.

For the purposes of the complaints policy, complaint includes the communication, whether orally or in writing, to the Council by a person of their dissatisfaction with—

the quality of an action taken, decision made or service provided by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council; or

the delay by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council in taking an action, making a decision or providing a service; or

a policy or decision made by a Council or a member of Council staff or a contractor.

A Council must develop the first complaints policy under this section within 6 months of the commencement of this section.