​ሕግንና ደንብን በተመለከተ እርዳታ ማግኘት ይፈልጋሉን? - Amharic | هل تحتاج لمساعدة قانونية؟ - Arabic | ܤܢܝܼܩܵܐ ܝ݇ܘ̤ܬ ܠܗܲܝܵܪܬܵܐ ܩܵܢܘܿܢܵܝܬܵܐ؟ - Assyrian | Need Legal Help? - Auslan | Treba li vam pravna pomoc? - Bosnian | Burmese â Need Legal Help? | 需要法律帮助吗? - Chinese Simplified | 需要法律幫助嗎? - Chinese Traditional | Trebate li pravnu pomoć? - Croatian | ضرورت به کمک قانونی دارید؟ - Dari | Wïc Kuɔɔny në Wɛ̈t Löŋ? - Dinka | آیا به کمک حقوقی نیاز دارید؟ - Farsi | Gadreva na Veivuke Vakalawa? - Fijian | Kailangan ninyo ba ng tulong na panglegal? - Filipino | Besoin d’aide juridique ? - French | Χρειάζεστε βοήθεια σε νομικά ζητήματα - Greek | क्या आपको कानूनी सलाह चाहिए? - Hindi | Butuhkan Bantuan dalam Masalah Hukum? - Indonesian | Hai bisogno di assistenza legale? - Italian | ត្រូវការជំនួយលើបញ្ហាផ្លូវច្បាប់ឬទេ? - Khmer | 법적인 도움이 필요하십니까? - Korean | Ви треба ли помош со правни работи? - Macedonian | कानूनी सहयोग चाहिएको छ? - Nepalese | Necessita de ajuda com questões jurídicas? - Portuguese | Вам нужна юридическая помощь? - Russian | E Manaomia Fesoasoani i Mea Tau Tulafono? - Samoan | а ли вам треба помоћ у правним питањима? - Serbian | Ma u baahan tahay Caawimmad xagga sharciga ah?- Somali | ¿Necesita ayuda con cuestiones jurídicas? - Spanish | சட்ட உதவி தேவையா? - Tamil | ท่านต้องการความช่วยเหลือทางด้านกฎหมายไหม? - Thai | Fiema’u ha tokoni Fakalao? - Tongan | Yasal Danışmaya İhtiyacınız mı var? - Turkish | Cần Được Giúp Đỡ Về Luật Pháp? - Vietnamese |

Department of Justice is now the Department of Communities and Justice.  Find out more >

​Complaint bodies

There are different bodies in NSW that deal with certain types of complaints about certain organisations and agencies.

If you want to make a complaint about a certain issue there may be a complaint body, or in some circumstances, there may be a number of different organisations that you can make a complaint to. However, you may be limited in the number of complaints you can make.

There may also be time limits for you to make a complaint to.

Alert icon If you are unsure who to make a complain to, you should get legal advice.


    Aged Care

    Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

    The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission deals with complaints against aged care service providers, including about:

    • health care, for example wound care and medication
    • personal care assistance, for example eating and showering
    • communication
    • staff roles
    • living environment, for example safety, security, heating and cooling, cleaning and building maintenance
    • some fees and charges.

    For more information, see The complaints process on the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website.

    Commonwealth agencies and Commonwealth matters

    Commonwealth Ombudsman

    The Commonwealth Ombudsman deals with complaints about:

    • Commonwealth government agencies, including ASIC, Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Scheme
    • The Australian Federal Police
    • The Australian Defence Force
    • immigration issues
    • private education providers in Australia, where the complaint is made by an overseas student
    • postal services
    • private health insurance providers
    • VET student loans
    • Commonwealth public interest disclosure.

    For more information, see How we can help on the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.

    Discrimination

    Anti-Discrimination NSW

    Anti-Discrimination NSW handles complaints under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) in regards to the following areas:

    • employment
    • goods and services
    • state education
    • accommodation
    • registered clubs.

    If you want to make a complaint to Anti-Discrimination NSW, you have 12 months from the date of the discrimination to lodge your complaint.

    For more information, see Making a complaint on the Anti-Discrimination NSW website.

    Australian Human Rights Commission

    The Australian Human Rights Commission investigates complaints about discrimination and breaches of human rights.

    You have 24 months from the date of the discrimination to make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

    For more information about the complaint process, see Make a complaint on the Australian Human Rights Commission website.

    Employment

    Fair Work Commission

    The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) is Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal.

    People employed under national awards (modern awards) and national agreements are covered by the Fair Work system.

    The commission has powers to deal with:

    • unfair dismissal claims
    • anti-bullying claims
    • general protections and unlawful termination claims.
    For more information, see Termination of employment and Disputes at work on the Fair Work Commission website.

    Industrial Relations Commission

    The Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) is the NSW workplace relations tribunal.

    People employed under state awards and agreements in the public service in state and local government organisations are covered by the NSW Industrial Relations system.

    The IRC has the power to deal with:

    • contract determinations that involve some private sector employment, mostly in the transport sector
    • unfair dismissal claims
    • public sector disciplinary appeals
    • applications under the Police Act, and
    • industrial disputes.

    For more information, see Claims and applications on the Industrial Relations Commission website.

    Health care

    Health Care Complaints Commission

    The Health Care Complaints Commission deals with complains about all health services and providers in NSW, including:

    • health organisations, such as public and private hospitals, medical centres, imaging and radiation services
    • registered health practitioners, such as medical practitioners, nurses, dentists and pharmacists
    • unregistered health practitioners, such as counsellors, speech therapists, massage therapists and alternative health care providers.

    For more information, see Understanding Complaints on the Health Care Complaints Commission website.

    NSW agencies and NSW matters

    NSW Ombudsman

    The NSW Ombudsman deals with complaints about:

    • NSW government agencies, such as the Department of Education, the Department of Communities and Justice, DCJ Housing and Revenue NSW
    • NSW government statutory bodies – NSW Education Standards Authority and the Rental Bond Board
    • NSW state owned corporations – Sydney Water and WaterNSW
    • state universities
    • local councils, councillors and council staff
    • custodial services, including in relation to private correctional centres
    • community service provides, including in relation to non-government organisations that provide home and community care services, out-of-home care services for child and young people, support accommodation and assistance program services
    • public interest disclosures.

    For more information, see What you can complain about to us on the NSW Ombudsman website.

    Victims of crime

    Victims of crime in New South Wales have a Charter of Victims Rights (the Charter) to protect and promote their right.

    The Charter of Victims Rights outlines 18 rights for victims of crime in NSW.

    If you believe that a NSW Government or non-government agency or contractor (excluding private legal officers and medical practitioners) funded to provide services to victims of crime has not acted in accordance with the Charter of Victims Rights, you are entitled to make a complaint.

    For more information, see If your rights have not been met on the Victims Services website.