Why give us a compliment?
Auburn City Council uses compliments made by customers to acknowledge the quality service made by our staff members and to assist in the evaluation of the quality of service provided by Auburn City Council. Compliments made about members of staff will be forwarded to the appropriate officer.
Making a suggestion
If you would like to make a suggestion for changes or improvements to Auburn City Council's customer service, you can use the
Customer Feedback Form to do so.
Your suggestions are used by Auburn City Council to assist in the evaluation of the quality of service we provide. Suggestions made by customers are provided to the appropriate Manager for consideration.
Making a complaint
If you would like to make a complaint, you should first contact Customer Service on (02) 9735 1222. You can also fill out the
Customer Feedback Form.
A customer service officer will log your complaint and refer it to the relevant Council department, where it will be dealt with in accordance with Auburn City Council’s Complaints Management Policy.
A complaint can also be made by:
- Fax: (02) 9735 1397
- Email: auburncouncil@auburn.nsw.gov.au
- Mail: Auburn City Council, PO Box 118, Auburn NSW 1835
- By appointment: Civic Place, 1 Susan Street, Auburn NSW – prior appointments can be arranged by contacting Customer Service on (02) 9735 1222.
Make sure you include your name, address and contact phone number, together with a brief description of your complaint.
Formal complaints to the Internal Ombudsman
If your complaint concerns a serious issue such as corruption, misconduct, maladministration or otherwise unlawful behaviour by Auburn City Council administration or Council officers, you can choose to make a formal complaint to the Internal Ombudsman.
Before contacting the Internal Ombudsman, you are encouraged to first use all other avenues in Council to resolve your problem. In particular, inquiries about or problems with service delivery or service requests should first be addressed by Auburn City Council's
customer service team.
What is a formal complaint?
A formal complaint is an allegation of corruption, misconduct, maladministration or otherwise unlawful behaviour by Auburn City Council administration or Council officers.
The Internal Ombudsman will not handle concerns about service delivery by Council or day-to-day issues such as reporting potholes, barking dogs, garbage collection or parking problems. For these concerns please
contact Auburn City Council Customer Service.
Before lodging a formal complaint with the Internal Ombudsman, it is useful to ask yourself the following questions:
- What has Council done wrong in this situation?
- Has Council breached some law or policy which they have a duty to uphold?
- Has Council treated me unfairly?
- Has Council officer done something that is against the law or Council’s Code of Conduct?
Examples
What happens to your formal complaint?
Within three working days of receiving a formal complaint an acknowledgment letter will be sent to you by the Internal Ombudsman.
You will be informed of the progress of your complaint within 14 working days of acknowledgment. Further feedback will be provided until the matter is finalised.
The Internal Ombudsman is committed to ongoing consultation with complainants however some matters can take several months to investigate.
If preliminary inquiries reveal evidence that may support the complaint, it may then progress to a formal inquiry by the Internal Ombudsman. This could include a review of the related file or policies or procedures, interview relevant witnesses; site visits; facilitated meetings between staff and complainant; and, a report to the General Manager with outcomes and recommendations. This is a lengthy and often complex process.
Privacy
Complainants’ details will not be disclosed without their consent. This includes not giving details to any Council officer involved in a complaint. The Internal Ombudsman is located in a secure office where complainants can provide information confidentially.
More Information