Posted 22/7/09 

MAKING A COMPLAINT AGAINST A COUNCILLOR

With Council

With the Office of Local Government

With the Ombudsman

With Council:

Macedon Ranges Councillor Code Of Conduct

M.       REPORTING OF BREACHES AND COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCEDURES

17.      A complaint about an alleged breach of this code of conduct by a councillor should be made in writing to the Mayor.

17.1   A complaint about an alleged breach of this code of conduct by the Mayor should be made to the Chief Executive Officer.

 

17.2   Where an alleged breach of this code is reported to the Mayor or the Chief Executive Officer he or she must determine whether or not the breach is of a sufficiently serious nature to call for investigation by a “Conduct Committee”. If so the matter is to be referred to such a Committee to be dealt with in accordance with this Code.

 

17.3    Where the Mayor or Chief Executive determine not to convene a ‘Conduct Committee ‘ to make enquiries into the alleged breach of the code of conduct they will give the complainant the reason/s in writing.

Mayor's Contact Details

Councillor John Letchford,

Mayor, Macedon Ranges Shire Council

PO Box 151,

Kyneton, 3444.

CrJohnLetchford@bigpond.com

0401 682 364

With the Office of Local Government, Victoria

2009 Guide To Councillor Conduct Arrangements

Council Governance

Use the following link to obtain information from Local Government Victoria on the following and more issues:

http://www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au/Web20/dvclgv.nsf/allDocs/RWP6EF5C30DCEC33806CA2574D30083AD2F?OpenDocument

• Making Local Government Work For You – The Guide to Local Government
• Register of Interests Guide
• Guide to Councillor Conduct Arrangements
• Conflict of Interest in Local Government
• Mayor and Councillor Entitlements
• Ensuring Unbiased Democratic Council Decision Making

Local Government Office's Contact Details

Street Address

Level 8

55 Collins Street

Melbourne Vic 3000

Australia

Postal Address

GPO Box 2392

Melbourne Vic 3001

Australia

Telephone: (03) 9651 7026

Fax: (03) 9651 7269

Email: local.government@dpcd.vic.gov.au

With the Ombudsman Victoria

You can complain to Ombudsman Victoria if you are unhappy about the way you have been treated by:

• a state government department
• a statutory authority
• a local council
• a private agency that carries out statutory responsibilities of government

The Ombudsman investigates complaints made against staff who work for government departments, statutory authorities and local councils.

The Ombudsman has a team of experienced enquiry and investigation officers who handle enquiries and complaints received by the office.

Before making a complaint

Before making a complaint to the Ombudsman, you should first try to resolve your concerns with the authority concerned. Most public bodies have established complaint handling processes and can provide you with advice on how to go about making a complaint or seeking a review of a decision made by the authority.

Some useful tips for making a complaint to an authority

• It is often more effective to write rather than call, especially if your complaint is complex and you need to provide copies of documents.  Even if you feel angry or frustrated, staying calm and focusing on the main problem will help you to get your point across.
• Whether you write or call, you should stick to the main facts and provide as much detail as needed to understand and resolve the problem, but no more.
• Ask for the name of the person you speak with and their position.  Keep a note of the conversation and the date and time of your call.
• It is useful to indicate what action you think the authority should take to resolve the problem. Be calm and polite. Becoming abusive or blaming an individual often encourages people to defend their actions and may prevent them from seeing the issue from your perspective.
• If your request is reasonable and realistic, you are more likely to be satisfied with the agency's response.

For more information, please refer to  tips on making a complaint to a Victorian public sector agency.pdf (283KB)

• If you are unhappy with the outcome of this process or if you experience an undue delay in obtaining a response, you can complain to the Ombudsman by completing the online complaint form or contact Ombudsman Victoria (as below).

Contact us

Making a Complaint

If you wish to make a complaint to the Ombudsman, please use the Complaint Form

Telephone:

9613 6222 (international callers 0011 + 61 + 3 + phone number)
Toll Free: 1800 806 314 (regional only)

TTY via the National Relay Service (www.relayservice.com.au)

(a phone solution for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment)

on 133 677 or 1300 555 727

Facsimile:

9614 0246

Reception hours:

9.00am - 5.00pm

Monday to Friday

Interpreter service

Via telephone - 131 450

On-site - 1300 655 082

Email:

ombudvic@ombudsman.vic.gov.au

Mail:

Ombudsman Victoria

Level 9, 459 Collins Street (North Tower)

Melbourne  Victoria  3000

or

DX: 210174

Melbourne