Mosman Council complaints register revealed

The number of complaints lodged to Mosman Council has almost doubled in a year with a new register detailing the varied reasons behind the grievances.

The number of complaints lodged to Mosman Council has almost doubled in the space of one year with noisy garbage trucks, parking fines and abandoned cars among the grievances from locals.

A new complaints register has revealed the varied reasons behind formal complaints made by residents in 2020-21 as the total number of gripes topped 62 – an increase from 36 during the previous 12 month period.

The council has partly attributed the increase to Covid restrictions that left more residents restricted by movement and cooped up at home.

Parking fines were among the complaints.

Many of the complaints relating to the council’s planning system, disruptive street upgrades, parking fines as well as the sound of noisy garbage trucks doing the rounds in residential streets as early as 4.30am.

Other complaints centred on illegally parked cars clogging up local streets, “excessive noise” from building works at the Mosman Swim Centre, and one complaint about the design of green waste bins that had cause “foul liquids” collecting in it along with mould.

Of the 62 complaints, the council deemed 37 minor in nature while 21 required further investigation and four were categorised as ‘more serious’.

The sound of Mosman’s garbage trucks was another cause of ire.

The register shows the council apologised to a resident in May after a complaint was made about contractors “destroying a garden” and “slashing off flower heads” at Sarahs Walk as well as leaving the site in a mess.

The council further advised the resident it would meet with the contractor involved.

Another resident meanwhile complained about an abandoned car left at a car park at The Spit for more than one year which the council said was due to the owner being stuck overseas and unable to return to Australia due to Covid border closures.

Building works at Mosman Swim Centre generated several complaints.

The register also detailed a long list of minor complaints including one local not impressed with having to pay rates in cash at a post office rather than at council buildings, household clean-up items not being collected on prearranged dates, lack of patrols targeting off-leash dog walkers and council staff using noisy leaf blowers.

There was also a complaint about man feeding birds on Spit Rd which the complainant claimed presented “major safety concerns and hazards”.

A local boat owner also wrote to the council challenging why he issued a letter to have his boat and trailer moved when it is registered and used every fortnight.

The council attributed the increase in complaints “principally to the Covid lockdowns”.

“Council has hundreds of thousands of interactions with customers every year and 42 per cent of the complaints received were found upon investigation to be unfounded while four complaints were categorised as being of a serious nature,” a spokeswoman said.

The sound of leaf blowers was another issue of concern.

“While council has experienced a rise in complaints, this is considered partially attributable to residents spending more time at home during the past year’s unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic.

“Council is committed to continuous improvement and encourages residents to come forward where applicable.”

In the same period, the council also received 166 letters of praise from residents who took the time to express in writing their gratitude for council services such as helpful staff and well-run council events.

The council’s interactions with residents included 550,000 emails and more that 190,000 phone calls in 2020/21.