Central Coast Council has been named the most complained about council in NSW for the fifth year in a row.
The NSW Ombudsman’s annual report for the 2022-23 financial year sees Central Coast top the list with 121 complaints at a rate of 35 per 100,000 residents.
This result was an improvement on the previous year, when there were 158 complaints at a rate of 48 per 100,000.
The Ombudsman said the most frequently raised issues in actionable complaints about local government in 2022–23 included: standards of customer service; complaint-handling processes; complaint outcomes; merits/reasoning of council decisions; and council enforcement action.
Council received 301 complaints directly to its service centre.
That number has continued to grow this financial year with a 52 per cent increase in community complaints compared to the second quarter in 2022-23.
Council said a main contributor to this was a 155 per cent increase in complaints to Environment and Planning.
A third of these were complaining about delays and lack of communication over development application assessments.
Council also received 138 formal GIPA (Government information public access) requests last financial year and more than 1300 informal requests.
A Council spokesperson pointed out that per head of population, Central Coast came in third behind Lane Cove Municipal Council and Shoalhaven City Council.
“Council notes that the number of complaints about Central Coast Council to the Ombudsman has continued to decrease over the last three financial years, which is reflective of the improvements being made within the organisation in line with its financial recovery trajectory,” the spokesperson said.
“A key focus for Council is continuing to engage with the community to ensure alignment of our service delivery with community expectations.
“(This) is being reflected in an improvement in Central Coast Council’s NPS in its latest customer satisfaction survey – from -16 to +9, with other key customer response metrics also tracking in a positive direction.
“It is also expected the return of elected councillors in September 2024 will provide residents with further opportunities to engage with Council on issues they wish to raise, or have concerns about.”
The spokesperson said the Office of Local Government does not provide Council with copies of complaints received and nor does it refer the complaints to Council to action.
‘Central Coast Council has a detailed complaints management process that deals with complaints made direct to Council or which are referred to Council from external agencies,” they said.
“While Council takes all complaints and dissatisfaction in the community seriously, Council is unable to take any action without detailed knowledge of the nature of complaints made.
“In regard to performance improvement, Council implements and monitors a range of metrics regarding satisfaction, and implements improvements when issues are identified.
Five years in a row. Clearly there’s an anti-customer service culture systemic from top to bottom and from the bottom to the top. It must be quite embarrassing having to admit you work for Central Coast Council. Does anyone at or near the top echelons care…doesn’t appear so.
I’m surprised anyone bothers complaining still as they never respond or do anything. it’s no surprise they top the list. lost zillions, do nothing don’t provide any service and some of the highest rates in NSW. useless.
CCC is as xxxx as ever. They cannot be trusted. They are only out for themselves. When the so called new council is elected NOT ONE of the previous xxxx should be allowed to stand. And the new members should request the police look into every single x councillor.
I couldn’t agree more, with Mr Whelam. Return the elected councillors. what fool made this decision. No one was held responsible for the misappporprate funds. If this was a private company, they would be in Jail by now. Name & shame.
Why even have a NYE celebration at all? It is as if councel is only interested in making the most minuscule effort to “appear” to be giving back to the community that pays their rates. they started the fireworks early, and finished at 9:02, but the fireworks weren’t even supposed to start until 9:00. Then, they quickly told the food trucks to stop serving food, right after the fireworks. Anyone who was hoping for food/dessert after the fireworks display, was unable to do so. In fact, my family had been waiting in line several minutes, and then we were told they can’t serve us. Likely due to councel’s cheap and lazy method of event management. So disappointing. A wasted effort, fighting for parking and walking 15 minutes, just for that. What a joke.
I call THE CCC the most expensive garbage collection in Australia. It cost a fortune and the road in our stree has so many pot holes in it you can’t swerve to miss them any more.
The CCC is certainly an embarrassment to us all, who live, work, conduct business and play on the beautiful Central Coast. They are supposed to be representative of our community and in turn represent us in all things that they do. Clearly, they don’t feel this as part of their culture, rather they feel that they are there to represent themselves. I think the CCC still needs a big shake from the top down. Corruption still clearly dictates the allocation of funds and there still seems to be an old boys club lining up for tenders and pushing against any change. I think the state of the roads speaks for itself, and this is one area where road contractors are getting away with murder. When new pavements are laid, there are standards which are simply not being upheld, and procedures that are completely skipped, yet probably paid for.
CCC, have so many problems, they can’t see their way through. We need a council of less warm and fuzzy nature and more of a, get it done, do it right and accountable management culture.
Denied my fence application but I look directly at 3 that were put up the same. Was advised the complaint is only about yours? I then said if I complain about those already built without an application what will happen he said ill pass them they’re already there, I complain to Ombudsman they did nothing? so if you want something illegal just build it and then they pass it apparently but if you apply then they knock you back. Could it be the arrogant G.F. who came round didn’t like me cause I was female and he wanted to be right. Good one G.F your a weakling with a little power karma is on the way for this Council.
so i uave heard, council don’t care, staff are leaving due to lack of pay and the toxic culture created by the lack of staff and overwhelming workloads as you are doing 3 other people’s jobs.
CCC is the worst council. Gosford and Wyong Council should never of join together. Wyong shire was in the black until this happened. We had decent roads and our rates were reasonable. It is not fair that it is the rate payer’s that have to eat the brunt of this expense. I feel the councilor who did this to us should be held accountable for this disaster.
the level of neglect the council has provided for the central coast is soul crushing.
Imagine what interstate or overseas visitors think when they drive through the streets filled with pot holes, curb side rubbish, overgrown council strips, trees growing out of drains etc etc…Shame on you CCC.
I am a 77year old self funded retiree who lives alone in the Holgate Matcham area. I have done so for over 50 years and I have never seen such an massive increase in council rates. I have no town water or sewerage service, my property floods on a regular basis and it’s next to impossible to get home insurance. Is there any way to get my rates reduced to former levels?????