SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines reports too many complaints are being made about councils

The SA Ombudsman is getting dozens of complaints a month about councils - but he says too many are not serious enough, and half are sent back to councils.

Ombudsman Wayne Lines The Advertiser he continues to spend too much time and ­effort on code of conduct ­complaints about councillors. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Ratepayers are making on average 74 complaints a month about councils to the state’s public sector watchdog, a new report reveals.

South Australian Ombudsman Wayne Lines has told The Advertiser he continues to spend too much time and ­effort on code of conduct ­complaints about councillors.

Complaints often end up with the Ombudsman if ratepayers are not happy with how their concerns are handled by their councils.

Last financial year, Mr Lines dealt with 888 complaints involving councils.

He referred more than one in two (52 per cent) back to the councils.

“The complaints referred back to the councils cover a wide range of issues including allegations of breaches of the Code of Conduct for Council Members, imposition of fines, planning and development ­issues, dog control, service delivery and complaint handling,” he said.

Mr Lines received the highest number of complaints from Charles Sturt Council, in Adelaide’s west, with a total of 74.

His report does not outline the nature of the complaints.

However, the council’s annual report shows that, in total it received 491 complaints – 239 of those related to rubbish collection or verge mowing.

No complaints were made about councillors.

Mr Lines received dozens of complaints about a raft of other councils including ­Onkaparinga, 68 complaints, Adelaide, 57, Port Adelaide Enfield, 49, and Tea Tree Gully, 48.

Mr Lines said the nature of the complaints to his office were too varied to nominate a common theme.

However, he indicated one area of possible improvement related to allegations of breaches of the code of conduct.

“I would like these to go to a specialised local government conduct panel in the first instance and then only escalate to my office if they are sufficiently serious to require my assessment, or if one or more of the parties to the conduct panel’s process wish to complain about that process for my review,” he said.

“The reform to the complaint process envisaged in the Local Government Act Amendment Bill, if passed, should address that concern.”

A State Government spokeswoman said it is hoped the Bill to address concerns about code of conduct complaints could be passed early in 2021.