Complaints
Complaints about public authorities
You can contact our office if you have a complaint about Tasmanian state or local government administration.
We act independently and don't take sides. We act in the public interest to resolve complaints and improve the standard of Tasmanian public administration. You can complain to us if you think you have been treated unfairly or unreasonably by a Tasmanian public authority.
Some of the issues we look into include:
- the actions of Tasmanian government departments and agencies
- the provision of local government services
- the treatment and welfare of people in prison
- administrative actions of State-owned businesses and Government Business Enterprises.
Some examples of complaints we have investigated can be found on the Case Summaries page.
We can only help with the actions of Tasmanian public authorities.
For complaints about agencies in other States and Territories, please contact the Ombudsman in that State or Territory
Guide to Tasmanian oversight bodies
There are five main oversight bodies for child safety and wellbeing in Tasmania. They are the:
- Ombudsman
- Commissioner for Children and Young People
- Office of the Independent Regulator
- Registration to Work with Vulnerable People Scheme
- Integrity Commission.
The oversight bodies have developed a user-friendly guide, explaining how to be heard when you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person.
The guide outlines:
- how each oversight body responds to reports of child sexual abuse
- how complaints and concerns are managed, and
- how information provided to each body is managed.
Issues we don't help with
We can't help with some issues such as:
- Telephone or internet problems (call the Telecommunications Ombudsman 1800 062 058)
- Consumer retail matters including faulty purchases (call Consumer Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) 1300 654 499)
- Private rental property issues (call the Tenants Union of Tasmania 1300 652 641)
- Centrelink payments (call the Commonwealth Ombudsman 1300 362 072)
- Taxation matters (call the Commonwealth Ombudsman 1300 362 072)
- Insurance, banking or superannuation matters (call the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) 1800 931 678)
- Employment conditions (call the Fair Work Ombudsman 13 13 94).
Other organisations are available to look into issues which we can't deal with, and they may be able to help you. Our Referrals Centre shows a list of issues we can't deal with, and gives contact details of agencies which may be able to help you.
Some public authorities and certain actions are outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction so we can't take complaints about them, such as:
- The Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General or the Director of Public Prosecutions
- The Tasmanian Audit Office
- Judges, associate judges, magistrates or courts
- The actions of public authorities with respect to court proceedings in which they are involved
- Actions taken by a tribunal or its members in the performance of its decision-making functions.
The National Student Ombudsman
The National Student Ombudsman (NSO) handles complaints from higher education students across Australia. The NSO's jurisdiction overlaps with those of the State and Territory Ombudsmen. Find out more about the NSO and if it's the right complaint pathway for you.
Complaint process
What do I need to do?
We ask that you raise your issue with the authority concerned and try to resolve it before submitting a complaint to our office.
Put your concerns in writing and give the authority a chance to respond.
If you would like some tips to help you increase your chances of having your complaint understood and acted upon, and making it more likely to get the result you want (although not guaranteed), please see our web page about 'smart complaining'.
If you are not satisfied with the authority's answer, or if there is a long delay, you can complain to the Ombudsman.
Usually the Ombudsman will not accept your complaint if another means of review is or was open to you - for instance by applying to a court or tribunal - and you have not made use of that.
How to make your complaint
You can submit your complaint using our online complaint form, by calling us, or in person at our office. We may ask you to put it in writing before we make any inquiries. Don't wait too long before contacting us, usually the Ombudsman will not accept a complaint if the issue goes back more than two years.
Explain your concerns simply and clearly, and tell us what you hope to achieve by making the complaint. Please include as many relevant details as you can: the dates of key events, the names of people you've contacted and copies of letters and documents.
What happens next?
Our first step is to ensure that your complaint is within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. We can only take complaints about the administrative actions of Tasmanian public authorities from people personally affected by those actions. For more information on what you can complain about, go to FAQs.
If we can't handle your complaint, we'll usually refer you to someone else who can.
If we accept your complaint, an investigation officer will make preliminary inquiries to try and resolve the complaint without a formal investigation. We usually ask for a response from the authority and we may also seek other views, inspect documents and conduct interviews.
Most complaints are resolved by these preliminary inquiries. Formal investigations can be complex and time-consuming. We will keep you up to date with progress.
Make your complaint
Make a complaint via our online form
If you would like a hard copy of the complaint form to fill in, you can ring us on 1800 001 170 and we can post one to you. You can also download a form to complete (PDF, 100.2 KB). Forms can be hand delivered, posted or emailed to us. We are at Level 6, NAB House, 86 Collins Street, Hobart. Our mailing address is GPO Box 960, Hobart, 7001. Our email address is: ombudsman@ombudsman.tas.gov.au
If you need more information or are not sure, please contact us.
Complaints about us
If your complaint is about the outcome of a case, you can ask for an internal review.
If your complaint is about the service we provided while handling your case, please make an internal complaint.
If you remain dissatisfied with any aspect of the service we have provided, or you wish to complain about how we handled your matter, you can make an external complaint to the Joint Standing Committee on Integrity.