Our commitment to you
We aim to consistently deliver excellent service. We do this by being available, helpful, empathetic, responsive and reliable.
Lodging a complaint
If you believe we have not delivered a service to a satisfactory standard, you are encouraged to review our Complaints Handling Policy and lodge a formal complaint if required. You can make a complaint in a number of ways:
- Email mail@ahc.sa.gov.au
- Complete our online feedback form
- Call (08) 8408 0400
- Post to 63 Mount Barker Road, Stirling SA 5152
- Visit a Council customer service office
How your complaint is managed
Complaints will broadly be dealt with according to a three step approach, with complaints being dealt with at the first point of contact wherever possible:
Step 1 — Immediate response to resolve the complaint
All staff are empowered to handle complaints in the first instance and it is preferable that they are dealt with promptly at the initial point of contact and at the appropriate officer level.
Step 2 — Complaint escalated to a more senior officer
A complaint will be directed to a more senior officer in the Council, where circumstances indicate that the complaint would be more appropriately handled at a higher level. This may occur, for example, where an officer has been involved in the matter that is the subject of the complaint, where the complaint is about an issue that requires a decision to be made at a more senior level, or where a complaint concerns a matter that ranges across more than one Council work area.
Step 3 — Internal review of a Council decision by statutory process
Internal review of a Council decision is available under section 270 of the Local Government Act 1999. This is a process established by legislation that enables a Council to reconsider all the evidence relied on to make a decision, including new evidence if relevant. This process is generally a last resort in the complaint handling process, but may also be used in situations which are not able to be resolved by other means, such as a complaint about a decision of the CEO. Details of the internal review process are contained in the Internal Review of Council Decisions Policy.
Our service standards
Keeping our community informed and being responsive to enquiries and requests is a key priority for us, and that's why we commit to standard timeframes for all of the services we provide.
Here's what you can expect from us
All timeframes are provided in calendar days.
| Customer Request | Service Standard |
| Answering correspondence | We will respond to emails and letters within 7 days of receipt |
| Answering incoming phone calls | We will answer 75% of calls to our contact centre within 30 seconds |
| Requests made via our website | We will acknowledge requests made via our website within 1 day |
| Updating customer details | We will update your contact details within 5 days |
| New event applications | We will acknowledge receipt of new applications within 5 days |
| Illegal burning complaints | We will investigate reported illegal burning within 24 hours |
| Health complaints | We will investigate and respond to reported food complaints within 24 hours |
| Illegally dumped rubbish | We will remove illegally dumped rubbish within 3 days |
| Library services | We will respond to requests to purchase materials within 10 days |
| Dog attacks | We will respond to reported dog attacks within 24 hours |
| Wasps | We will investigate and action reported European Wasp nests within 7 days |
| Development applications | We will, on average, make a decision on planning consent within 12 weeks of receipt of the application |
| Development applications | We will approve fast track Development Applications within 28 days |
| Missed bins | We will collect missed domestic bins within 2 days |
| Request for bin repair or replacement | We will action requests for bin repair or replacement within 7 days |
| Footpath repairs — hazardous | We will respond and make safe hazardous footpath issues within 24 hours |
| Footpath repairs — other | We will repair other footpath issues in accordance with our general maintenance program |
| Road repairs — hazardous | We will respond and make safe hazardous road and pothole issues within 24 hours |
| Road repairs — other | We will repair other road and pothole issues in accordance with our general maintenance program |
| Stormwater repairs — hazardous | We will respond and make safe hazardous stormwater and flooding issues within 24 hours |
| Stormwater repairs — other | We will resolve other stormwater issues in accordance with our general maintenance program |
| Trees — hazardous | We will respond and make safe hazardous tree issues within 24 hours |
| Trees — other | We will resolve other tree issues in accordance with our general maintenance program |