Shoalhaven Council might well lay claim to being the most complained about council in NSW.
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All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox All articles from the other regional websites in your areaThe NSW Ombudsman's annual report showed there were 52 complaints about Shoalhaven City Council is 2022-23, at a rate of 48 complaints per 100,000 or population.
Shoalhaven Council attracted 52 complaints to the NSW Ombudsman's office in 2022-23. File photo.
The only council area with a higher rate of complaints was Lane Cove Municipal Council, which recorded a whopping 155 complaints per 100,000 residents.
However the report noted a significant number of complaints about Lane Cove Council were generated by an online assisted petition, which automatically raised a complaint with the Ombudsman's office whenever an individual signed the petition.
The Ombudsman's office recorded 2011 complaints about councils in 2022-23.
The 10 most complained about councils, identified in the NSW Ombudsman's annual report." />
The 10 most complained about councils, identified in the NSW Ombudsman's annual report.
The most frequently raised issues included standards of customer service, complaint-handling processes, enforcement actions, charges and fees and discretionary council decisions.
The report also noted there were 208 finalised actionable complaints during the year about the South Coast Correctional Centre.
That put it at number six on the list of the most complained about adult correctional centres in the state.
The South Coast Correctional Centre had 208 complaints investigated by the NSW Ombudsman's office in 2022-23. File photo.
Parklea topped the list with 408 complaints.
As in previous years, the most complaints came from people in large correctional centres and centres housing maximum security inmates, the report noted.
It said the most frequently raised complaints were medical issues such as access to opioid agonist treatment; daily routines including lockdowns, lack of activities or programs; property including lost, damaged or confiscated property; officer misconduct; and issues relating to visits, including delays in visitors being approved or difficulty booking visits.
