The Office of the Ombudsman SA is marking 50 years of service to the community in 2022, having opened its office doors to the public on 14 December 1972.
Marking the occasion, today’s Ombudsman, Wayne Lines said that while there had been enormous changes in Government and society over the past 50 years, the need for an independent and impartial Office to hold public authorities to account and help resolve grievances between citizens and Government were still needed now as much as when it first started.
Mr Lines said the Ombudsman Act 1972 was assented to on 23 November 1972.
“At that time South Australia was only the second Australian jurisdiction after Western Australia to install a parliamentary ombudsman, although South Australia was the first to use the title ‘Ombudsman’,” he said.
“Now all States, Territories and the Commonwealth have an Ombudsman.”
Mr Lines said the inaugural South Australian Ombudsman, Gordon Combe (1917-2002) recorded in his initial annual report in 1973 that in the first six months of operation his office received 308 complaints and recruited six staff.
“Fast forward 50 years and Ombudsman SA receives thousands of complaints each year and has 30 staff,” Mr Lines said.
“For five decades the Office has provided South Australians a cost free, quick and accessible means of achieving a fair and reasonable resolution of their complaints about State and Local Government and has conducted enquiries and investigations of its own initiative.”
He said the Office had made significant contributions to improving public administration and ensuring high standards of public administration were maintained.
“Ombudsman SA has proven itself to be adaptable to an ever changing public administration environment and looks forward to continuing its service to South Australians in the years ahead,” Mr Lines said.
