Complaints and Enquiries

Complaints process

A customer has a right to appeal or complain about any building control function the Building Consent Authority (Council) undertakes and to have this heard. Complaints provide feedback about service experience and give us the opportunity to improve our performance. You can make a complaint in person, however it must be in writing. Complaints not made in writing or made anonymously will not be considered.

Complaints can be made (in writing) directly to the:
Building Control Manager, Waimate District Council, 125 Queen Street, Waimate.

Procedure

1. The BCA receives inquiries from the public on a wide range of issues. General inquiries relating to building control functions are received by phone or email and referred to BCOs for reply.
2. General inquiries are categorised under building control functions. These are:
    issuing building consents
    inspecting work being carried out under a building consent
    notices to fix
    issuing code compliance certificates
    issuing compliance schedules.
3. Technical inquiries about specific consents are received by phone or email. Inquiries are responded to within three working days. Where necessary, a file note is made in Magiq or as a Memo in Goget. Copies of emails are placed on the relevant consent file.
4. Complaints are prioritised as:
    Urgent – Require action immediately
    Serious – Require action within 2 working days
    General – Require action within 5 working days
5. Complaints are received in person, by phone, fax, letter or email. Where complaints are received verbally, the complainant is asked to put the complaint in writing. Only written complaints are investigated. These complaints are then recorded in the Complaints Spreadsheet.
6. Complaints are dealt with by the Building Control Manager, who writes to the complainant acknowledging receipt of the complaint and advising the timeframe within which the complaint will be investigated.
7. The Building Control Manager investigates the complaint and reports the result of the investigation back to the complainant within two weeks. If the nature of the complaint is such that further time is required to investigate it, the Building Control Manager advises the complainant of the new timeframe.
8. When investigating a complaint the Building Control Manager will also consider the following matters; Ensure that the correct levels of objectivity and fairness to all parties is maintained; Ensure that the remedies are proportionate to the complaints issues raised
9. Any complaints which cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of both the complainant and the Building Control Manager are referred to the Regulatory and Compliance Group Manager or, if necessary, the Chief Executive Officer.
10. Details of the complaint, the investigation, resolution, and any action taken, are recorded on the Complaint Record Form. The form is placed on the Complaints Register. Where a complaint relates to a specific consent, copies are added to the consent file.

What information is required?

• Date incident occurred
• Nature of complaint (guidance information, vetting, lodgement, inspection, Notice to Fix, Code Compliance Certificate, Compliance Schedule)
• Copies of any supporting information (if applicable)
• Relationship (customer, regulator, or stakeholder)
• Name and contact details

How do we handle your complaint?

All complaints will be acknowledged upon receipt and where possible responded to within five working days. Sometimes depending on the nature of the complaint it may take a little longer to investigate or we may have to come back to you for further information.

We aim to be accessible and responsive by:

• Making it easy for you to make a complaint
• Acknowledging your complaint within five working days and keeping you update on progress
• Being efficient in how we consider your complaint
• Communicating in way that is easy to understand

We aim to be open and fair by:

• Treating you with respect
• Dealing with complaints in an objective way
• Considering things from your perspective so we can address what you think is wrong
• Ensuring we provide accurate information in a timely manner

We aim to continually improve by:

• Assessing issues on their own merits
• Using complaints as an opportunity to improve how we operate
• Acknowledging when we have made a mistake and striving to make it right
• Ensuring our staff understand the importance of good processes and complaints resolution

Determinations

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal, you can ask the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for a determination.

A determination is a legally binding ruling made by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) about matters of doubt or dispute to do with building work. They are not for civil disputes or disputes about workmanship.

To find out more about determinations, go to MBIE website https://www.mbie.govt.nz