The role of the department is to collect and analyse water resources information, issue licences, regulate ground and surface water use, protect the quality of that water, and prepare policies and plans critical to the future development of Western Australia .
Therefore, if your feedback or complaint is related to your mains water supply, commercial or residential, you need to contact your water service provider for assistance. Subject to your location your water service provider will be Aqwest (Bunbury Water Board) http://www.aqwest.wa.gov.au, Busselton Water Board http://www.busseltonwater.wa.gov.au/, Harvey Water http://www.harveywater.com.au/ or the Water Corporation http://www.watercorporation.com.au/f/feedback.cfm.
Feedback and complaints
The feedback process
The Department of Water welcomes all feedback about its services or staff and your feedback can be provided through the feedback and complaints management system on line.
Under the title Issue/Feedback: feedback type - the system default is set to 'making a complaint', but by using the drop-down menu you will be guided to the compliment or suggestion options. Any compliment will be forwarded to the relevant area or individual for their information and suggestions will be forward to the relevant area to be assessed and actioned if required.
The complaints process
You, as a customer, are entitled to complain when you are dissatisfied with the services delivered by the Department of Water.
A complaint is defined as:
An expression of dissatisfaction or concern by, or on behalf of, a customer regarding any aspect of the manner in which a department staff member delivered a service.
A complaint can be made verbally or in writing (letter, facsimile, email or via the department's customer feedback form), or on line.
All formally lodged complaints will be treated in accordance with the Department of Water's complaint management process. The complaint management process operates within a framework of natural justice and confidentiality.
How to make a complaint
Complaints, comments or feedback on services can be made through any of the following:
Online
| Fill out a complaint form and send to: | The Administrator
Customer Complaints
Department of Water
Reply paid 822
Perth WA 6842 |
Fax: 08 9426 4831
Email: complaints@water.wa.gov.au
Or contact the Department of Water on 1300 100 230.
Why do we need to know?
If you are not happy with a service that has been provided or how you were treated or where a breach of trust or confidentiality has occurred we need to know the details so that we can address the situation. Where individuals are not able to represent themselves, they may nominate someone to act on their behalf.
What information is needed?
A simple statement to tell us the nature of the service or conduct and briefly what happened. If further information is needed to properly investigate the issue we will contact you.
When should I receive a reply?
We give complaints a high priority. You will receive an acknowledgement within five working days advising of what we will do and the expected time frame.
Taking a complaint further
Where a complainant has exhausted all avenues available through the Department of Water to resolve the complaint, does not accept a final resolution offered and wishes to formally pursue the matter via an external review, that person has a right, and may lodge a complaint with the Western Australian Ombudsman, the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner or the Crime and Corruption Commission of Western Australia.
Your rights and responsibilities
You can expect to:
- have complaints treated as genuine and properly investigated
- be given appropriate and easily understood information regarding the process of complaints
- have your complaint issue adequately addressed
- have information about your complaint filed separately from your other documentation (e.g. licence application)
- have personal information remain confidential within the complaint management process
- not suffer any negative impact as a result of making a complaint.
Customer complaints management policy
The Department of Water aims to support the provision of the highest possible quality service to its customers and to increase the level of customer satisfaction with the manner in which the department staff delivers its services.
The intent of the Customer complaints management policy is to ensure a consistent method of management, monitoring and reporting of complaints, actions and outcomes to improve the quality of service delivery.
