Human rights complaints to the Victorian Ombudsman rose six per cent last financial year according to the Ombudsman’s annual report.
Tabling her 2021-22 Annual Report, Ombudsman Deborah Glass said the human rights complaints numbered 2,937, with the most complained about public bodies were prisons (3,578 complaints) and local councils (3,555).
Ms Glass said these were followed by the Department of Family, Fairness and Housing (2,623 complaints), COVID-19 public health directions and Business Victoria: “although complaints about administration of the Business Support Fund (Business Victoria) were vastly reduced compared to last year”.
She said that in 2021-22, her Office received close to 19,000 jurisdictional complaints, resulting in 5,260 enquiries, 31 formal investigations using Royal Commission powers and six tabled reports.
“The issues ranged from the simplest oversight to downright heartbreaking,” Ms Glass said.
“The past year saw another increase in jurisdictional complaints – matters we could deal with – up almost five per cent to a record 18,889,” she said.
“Nearly 3,000 of those engaged human rights issues.”
Like the previous year, Ms Glass said her Office received many complaints about COVID-19 public health directions brought on by lockdowns and border closures, as well as new requirements for vaccines and masks.
She said that while all complaints were assessed, not all were investigated.
“We recognise that a public health crisis involves a balancing of rights and our decisions not to investigate vaccine mandates certainly caused some dissatisfaction among those who complained to us,” she said.
Ms Glass said that in 2020, changes to the Ombudsman Act provided her Office with additional powers which allowed for enquiries to be made on public interest complaints.
She said that in the 2021-22 financial year, the use of the powers saw an increase of over 125 per cent in the number of public interest complaint allegations able to be resolved via enquiries and without the use of formal investigation powers.
“In another incredibly busy year, with rising complaint numbers, continuing major investigations, and the development of innovative ways of working and resolving complaints, it is my hardworking and dedicated staff who make it all happen,” Ms Glass said.
“I thank them all, and my equally dedicated leadership team, for ensuring our service to the public is not only maintained but enhanced.”
The Ombudsman’s 139-page Annual Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
