How to lodge a complaint
All members of the public have the right to lodge a complaint about any of the services Council provides.
Council views a complaint as a means to potentially improve upon the delivery of existing services to its community.
How can I make a complaint?
A person can make a complaint in a number of ways.
Complaint handling procedure
Upon the receipt of a complaint Council will take a four tiered approach to resolution.
Frontline Resolution
Where a complaint is received by a Council officer, the complaint is able to be assessed and resolved immediately.
Investigation
If the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, all details will be entered into Council's Customer Request Management System and then forwarded to the appropriate area of Council for action. A customer request number will be provided to the complainant as a reference when contacting Council about the complaint.
Internal Review
Following the outcome of the complaint, should complainants continue to feel aggrieved a requests can be made for internal review. This will commence a review of the outcome and the process undertaken in reaching the outcome by a more senior officer.
Access to External Review
Should complainants continue to feel aggrieved following internal review, Council officers will advise complainants of external review options.
Unreasonable complainant conduct
Most complainants act reasonably, responsibly and respectfully in their interactions with Council, however a small number of complainants act in ways that are inappropriate and unacceptable despite every effort by Council to assist with their complaint. Unreasonable complainant conduct will not be accepted by Council in any instance. This conduct can be divided into the following five categories:
Unreasonable persistence
Unreasonable persistence is continued, incessant and unrelenting conduct by a complainant that has a disproportionate and unreasonable impact on our organisation, staff, services, time and/or resources.
Unreasonable demands
Unreasonable demands are any demands (express or implied) that are made by a complainant that have a disproportionate and unreasonable impact on our organisation, staff, services, time and/or resources.
Unreasonable lack of cooperation
Unreasonable lack of cooperation is an unwillingness and/or inability by a complainant to cooperate with our organisation, staff, or complaints system and processes that results in a disproportionate and unreasonable use of our services, time and/or resources.
Unreasonable arguments
Unreasonable arguments include any arguments that are not based in reason or logic, that are incomprehensible, false or inflammatory, trivial or delirious and that disproportionately and unreasonably impact upon our organisation, staff, services, time, and/or resources.
Unreasonable behaviours
Unreasonable behaviour is conduct that is unreasonable in all circumstances – regardless of how stressed, angry or frustrated that a complainant is – because it unreasonably compromises the health, safety and security of our staff, other service users or the complainant themselves.
Accessibility
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Interpreting Services
If complainants would like more information, or to lodge a complaint in their own language, the free Telephone Interpreting Service is available by calling 131 450, and ask the service operator to contact Maribyrnong City Council on 9688 0200.
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Deaf, speech or hearing impaired
Contact Council through the National Relay Service using one of the methods below.
Once you are connected ask for 03 9622 0200.
TTY users: 133 677
Speak and Listen: 1300 555 727 (speech to speech users)
Internet Relay users: relayservice.gov.au
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