Council, April 2026.
Make a formal complaint
Introduction
The public interacts with Christchurch City Council in various ways, including on occasions where they are dissatisfied with our services and choose to make a complaint.
This policy should be read in with the Council’s Customer Services Standards and Principles Policy, the Management of Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, and the Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Policy.
Purpose
This policy sets out our approach to managing formal complaints, while retaining our commitment to being accessible and responsive to our communities.
Formal complaints
A formal complaint, as defined by this policy, means any expression of dissatisfaction about Council services, actions or inactions, a decision or standard of service that cannot be resolved at the first point of contact.
This could include assertions that the Council is:
- taking too long to take action or failing to take action
- not following Council policies or legal obligations
- not making a decision in the prescribed way
- providing wrong or misleading information
- not providing good service.
A formal complaint does not include an initial request for service or information, e.g. when issues or problems, such as something broken or damaged, a missed rubbish collection, potholes or graffiti, are raised with the Council, and have not been raised previously.
Making a complaint
Formal complaints can be made through any channel, for example, in person, by visiting a Customer Service Hub, by telephone, email or via the Council’s website.
The complainant (or their representative) should provide as much detail as possible, including
- location
- date/time
- service area (if relevant)
- a detailed description of the issue.
Managing formal complaints
When managing formal complaints, the Council commits to the following guiding principles:
- listening to and acknowledging the complainant’s perspective
- prioritising complaints and providing a timely response
- providing knowledgeable advice of Council’s policies or procedures that may be relevant to the complainant’s issue
- effectively communicating in a way that is easy to understand
- being fair, proportionate, and acting with integrity
- upholding a zero-tolerance policy towards any violence, harm, or threats towards kaimahi
- learning from complaints and using this knowledge to improve ways of working.
We aim to acknowledge receipt of formal complaints within two (2) working days and to respond within 10 working days. Complex matters may take longer than the specified time limits to investigate, we will contact the complainant to provide updates on expected response times.
For managing persistent or repetitive complaints, we will follow the process in the Management of Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, in conjunction with this policy.
Process for investigating complaints
The Council has a three-stage process for investigating formal complaints:
| Stage 1: Formal complaint |
When a complaint is received by the Council, the first step will be to consider if it can be resolved immediately. If it cannot be resolved, the relevant unit(s) will consider this a formal complaint and provide a response. If the issues are complex or require a detailed investigation, the complainant will be informed and the anticipated timeframes for a response will be communicated. |
|---|---|
| Stage 2: Review of a formal complaint | If a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of their formal complaint, they can request to have it reviewed. The relevant Head of Service or delegated officer will review the initial response to the complainant, investigate and determine if the decision is confirmed or will be changed. If, upon completion of the first two stages, the complaint is not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, they will be advised they have 20 working days from the date of the full response to provide details of why they consider their complaint unresolved. |
| Stage 3: Final complaint escalation | The complaint is escalated to the relevant General Manager, or Chief Executive, or delegated officer if the General Manager deems this more appropriate, who will investigate the complaint and may consider responses from kaimahi before determining an appropriate outcome. |
All complaints will be investigated and dealt with in confidence, consistent with the needs of the investigation.
It is intended that all issues will be dealt with under this process, however there may be exceptions that arise. When investigating a complaint, we will consider the Council’s legal obligations and whether the complaint is, or should be, managed under a different process. These exceptions could include:
- Matters that the Council is legally obliged to undertake or comply with
- Where the complainant or the Council has indicated they will start, or have started legal proceedings or taken court action
- Where another formal process has been commenced
- Where the matter may directly impact the employment relationship
- Where another formal complaints’ process exists, e.g. a statutory process or where Council units hold a complaints policy specific to their service.
If a complainant has exhausted the Council's internal complaints process below and remains dissatisfied, they may ask the Ombudsman to consider their complaint.
Complaints about kaimahi or elected members
If the complaint is about our kaimahi or elected members, we will follow the below processes:
- Complaints against kaimahi: A complaint about a Council kaimahi will be referred to that person’s manager, who will determine the most appropriate means of investigation and resolution.
- Complaints against the Chief Executive: A complaint against the Chief Executive will be referred to the Mayor, who will determine the most appropriate means of investigation and resolution.
- Complaints against Elected Members: In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, complaints against elected members will be referred to the Mayor, who will manage the complaint with the Chief Executive.
Record keeping
The Council will retain records of formal complaints. The record will contain:
- the name and address of the person who complained
- the nature of the formal complaint
- the Council’s approach to resolving the formal complaint and any ongoing actions.
This data will be made available as required pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, the Privacy Act 2020 and the Ombudsmen Act 1975.
