Complaints
A Complaint is when someone tells Council they are unhappy with a Council service. Under our Complaint Handling Policy, we have four categories of Complaints:
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Service provided
Complaints about accessibility issues, and service quality concerns.
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Actions or decisions
Complaints about incorrect or unfair actions or decisions, or a lack of proper explanation.
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Inaction or delay
Complaints about a length of time we took to respond to you, whether we didn’t do something we said we would do, service delay, or unexplained delays.
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Policy or process
Disagreements or insufficient explanations of policies and processes.
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What is not a Complaint?
| General Service Requests |
- Reports of non-compliance
- Noise
- Barking dogs
- Unauthorised building works
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| Hazards or Faulty or Damaged Infrastructure |
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| Customer Participation |
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| Requests for Information |
- Questions about how Council will implement a Policy
- Questions about Council services or projects
- GIPA Applications
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| Matters outside Council’s Jurisdiction |
- Taxation
- State Government Infrastructure
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If you are unhappy with Council about something that doesn’t fit the complaint categories, or would like to provide positive feedback, you can still tell us about it.
Here is a list of what you can raise with us and how:
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A service request – Report an Issue
This includes things such as:
• Reporting a pothole or other safety hazards
• Asking for a new bin or reporting a missed bin collection
• Reporting unauthorised works
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To submit a service request, please complete the relevant form on our website. |
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Have Your Say
This includes things such as:
• Making a public submission
• Signing or lodging a petition
• Objecting to a development application
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Check for documents on exhibition at Together Cessnock.
Go to our Make a submission on a DA page for more information. |
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Asking for information
This includes things such as:
• Asking a question about a policy or project
• Making an access application under GIPA
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To ask a question, email council@cessnock.nsw.gov.au or visit our access to information page. |
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Compliment
Tell us about a positive experience you had at a Council facility, assistance from a Council staff member, or general positive feedback.
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To submit positive feedback, email council@cessnock.nsw.gov.au.
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If you contact us about something that we cannot help with, we will let you know who you can refer your question to.
How do I make a complaint?
We have a form on our website you can use to make a complaint:
Complaints/Internal Review Form
If you need help, you can:
I’ve made a complaint to Council. What happens next?
You will:
- receive a response within five working days to let you know we have received your complaint
- be told about our complaint handling process
- be listened to and treated with respect by staff
- be provided with a point of contact for your complaint
- be contacted if we need more information about your complaint
- receive an outcome letter within 20 working days or be provided with an update if we cannot meet this timeframe.
What if I am unhappy with the outcome of my complaint?
Although we do our best to effectively handle all complaints, sometimes you might not be happy with the outcome. You have two avenues:
1. Ask for an internal review
An internal review is when your complaint is sent to a different area of Council and is reviewed by a different team. This team will make sure the complaints process was followed.
But, for a review to be undertaken, a request must be received within 1 month of Council providing an outcome and you must explain:
- Why a review is required; and
- Provide any new information or evidence relevant to the complaint.
We cannot do an internal review just because you disagree with our decision.
To ask for an internal review of your complaint, please complete this form.
2. Go to another agency for an external review
You can contact these agencies if you are still not satisfied:
Unreasonable Conduct by a Customer
Unreasonable Conduct by a customer is any behaviour that, because of its nature or frequency, raises health and/or safety concerns for Council generally, Council Officials, or even the Customer themselves.
There are 5 categories of unreasonable conduct:
There are 5 categories of unreasonable conduct:
| Unreasonable Persistence |
Requesting repeated reviews or follow ups on matters already addressed or contacting many staff trying to get a different answer. |
| Unreasonable Demands |
Demanding Council handle a matter a certain way, insisting on talking to senior staff when not appropriate, or emotional blackmail. |
| Unreasonable Lack of Cooperation |
Providing little or no details or refusing to follow or accept Council’s response. |
| Unreasonable Arguments |
Arguments that are illogical, trivial, lacking evidence, or based on conspiracy theories, or false, inflammatory or defamatory remarks or arguments. |
| Unreasonable Behaviours |
Aggression, verbal abuse, harassment, intimidation or physical violence, threats and/or stalking. |
Council has a zero-tolerance policy towards any harm, abuse or threats directed at Council Officials or people attending Council premises.
We follow the advice and guidance that the NSW Ombudsman provides for NSW agencies in managing Unreasonable Conduct by a Customer. Go to our Unreasonable Conduct by Customer Policy for more information. You can also go to the NSW Ombudsman’s website.
Useful Links
Complaint Handling Policy
Complaint Form
Unreasonable Conduct by a Customer Policy
Lodge a Service Request