29 June 2017 – Media Release
Cumberland Council will be introducing an ombudsman service to act as an impartial watchdog over Council. The free service is open to both residents and staff who have concerns about corruption, misconduct, maladministration, unethical behaviour or other general conduct within Cumberland Council.
Cumberland Council General Manager Malcolm Ryan noted the importance of such a service to the community at last night’s Extraordinary Meeting of Cumberland Council.
“An ombudsman is an essential layer of protection for the community when dealing with government,” said Mr Ryan.
“The ombudsman is completely independent from Council and their job will be to keep Councillors and staff in line.
“The majority of time they will take enquiries from people who feel Council has not been doing the right thing and if necessary investigate the matter to get to the bottom of it.
“The service is essential hardware for any organisation who holds significant community funds and makes planning and strategic decisions with a major impact on the area.
“All in all, putting in place an ombudsman is a commitment to good administration, openness to the community and fair complaint handling.
“The use of an independent probity officer who delivered glowing reports of Council’s waste services tender process and recent planning changes such as the introduction of the IHAP and e-planning are recent examples of this commitment in action.
“The aim is to make this a shared service across three Councils. Once the details are finalised the ombudsman will be appointed and Council will immediately start making the service accessible to everyone.”
For more information on when the ombudsman service will begin and how to access it, please visit Cumberland.nsw.gov.au.
