(1) A Council must develop and maintain a complaints policy that includes—
(a) a process for dealing with complaints made to the Council; and
(b) a process for reviewing any action, decision or service in respect of which the complaint is made; and
(c) a discretion for the Council to refuse to deal with a complaint which is otherwise subject to statutory review; and
(d) the prescribed processes for dealing with complaints about the Council; and
(e) the prescribed processes for internal review of complaints made to a Council; and
(f) the prescribed processes for exercising the discretion referred to in paragraph (c); and
(g) any other matter prescribed by the regulations.
(2) A review process must provide for a review that is independent of—
(a) the person who took the action; and
(b) the person who made the decision; and
(c) the person who provided the service.
(3) For the purposes of the complaints policy, complaint includes the communication, whether orally or in writing, to the Council by a person of their dissatisfaction with—
(a) the quality of an action taken, decision made or service provided by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council; or
(b) the delay by a member of Council staff or a contractor engaged by the Council in taking an action, making a decision or providing a service; or
(c) a policy or decision made by a Council or a member of Council staff or a contractor.
(4) A Council must develop the first complaints policy under this section within 6 months of the commencement of this section.
Division 2—Procurement