Our Service Promise

Our service standards

By phone on 9217 2170

We will answer your call promptly and professionally and if we can’t answer your question immediately, we will connect you with the right person. If you call us outside our business hours of 8.30-5 Monday to Friday, you can speak with our after-hours team for help with an emergency issue.

By email to info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

An automated email reply is systematically sent to confirm receipt of your email and a personalised reply will be sent within three working days. While we may not be able to complete your request in that time, we will advise next steps and when you can expect the next update.

On social media

We will respond to your enquiry via social media within one working day. While we may not be able to complete your request at that time, we will explain how we are handling it.

Report an issue online

You can report an issue on our website for a wide range of topics. You will receive a reference number along with the timeframe required for your issue to be resolved.

Report an Issue Online

In person

When you visit our offices, you will be served promptly and professionally by our qualified staff. Our goal is to resolve your enquiry on the spot, however if we are unable to do so we will direct you to the right person or organisation.

Compliments and Complaints

If you would like to pass on a compliment to a member of our team you can call us on 9217 2170 or email us at info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Your positive feedback is both appreciated and celebrated.

If you are not satisfied with our services, you can call us on 9217 2170 or email us at info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Your feedback is important to us and helps improve our services.

Council takes a four-tiered approach to complaint handling. If Council is not the right organisation to respond to the complaint, our team will refer you to the organisation that can help. 

1. Frontline resolution – When we receive your complaint, we will record it and try to resolve it quickly and easily
2. Investigation – If your complaint is unable to be resolved by our frontline staff, it will be referred to a Council officer to investigate
3. Internal Review – If you are not satisfied with the result of our investigation, you can request an internal review of the outcome
4. External Review – If you are still unsatisfied with the outcome provided by the internal review process, you will be informed of any external avenues through which you can pursue your complaint, for example, the Victorian Ombudsman’s Office

For more information please see Our Complaint Handling Process

Unreasonable Complainant Conduct

We expect customers to treat our councillors and staff with courtesy and respect, provide honest and reasonable assistance, and refrain from abusive, violent, or offensive behaviour that may pose a threat to their health, safety and wellbeing.

Council has zero tolerance for abusive, violent, or offensive behaviour, or behaviour which because of its frequency poses a threat to staff health and/or safety.

Customers who exhibit unreasonable conduct will be notified in writing by Council’s CEO warning them of their conduct, and should the unreasonable conduct continue, customers may be limited to interacting with Council through restricted channels and/or personnel.

Download our Unreasonable Complainant Conduct Guideline

Privacy

We will only collect personal information from you with your prior knowledge and consent. We will use the personal information you provide for the purposes for which it was collected. This may include contacting you to participate in research to support improving our services.

For more information please see Our Privacy Commitment.

Accessibility and inclusion

To ensure our services and our staff are accessible to our entire community we offer a range of options to assist you.

Staff Training and Disability Awareness

Our staff have undergone disability awareness training and are committed to ensuring high quality of service for all.  If you need additional assistance, please let us know so we can help.

Physical Environment

All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that our public spaces and places are accessible to all.

If you have a speech or hearing impairment

• For phone enquiries please call the National Relay Service on 133 677 and ask for 03 9217 2170.
• We have assisted hearing devices available for you when attending a meeting at Council.
• If you visit the Civic Centre or Edge Youth Facility, we have assisted hearing devices at each of our front counters.

If you need an interpreter

• For phone enquiries please call 131 450 and the interpreter will connect you with Council and conduct a 3-way conversation.
• For complex enquiries we will arrange for an interpreter to attend a scheduled meeting to assist you.
• Our website has information available in multiple languages which you can select via the drop-down menu. Upon request, we will provide detailed written translations of specific Council information.

We are ready to listen. We value diversity and work hard to ensure our entire community feel welcome and included. We have a range of programs to help us deliver on our promise to ensure our services are accessible and inclusive for everyone.

For more information please see Our Community Support page.