5. Complaints

Complaints vary in frequency and nature and often require substantial time and effort to resolve long term. This is because matters are typically resolved only temporarily, resurfacing every few weeks or months with more complexity.

Often, complaints are more about a civil dispute between neighbours or unrealistic expectations than they are about valid threats to public health and the environment. For these reasons, managing complaints will always be challenging and reactionary in nature and cannot be planned for entirely with regard to resources. Ideally, matters should not be given more regulatory attention than they deserve, which is not always easy to determine without first completing an inspection, which could entail several hours of an officer’s time. Therefore, Council’s officers should take a calculated and measured approach when responding to complaints relating to OWM.

Such an approach will be based on the risk and likelihood of an activity causing serious or significant harm to public health and the environment. Matters deemed as requiring further investigation and possibly enforcement action will be investigated promptly and efficiently, but regard will be given to an offender’s circumstances before any enforcement action is taken to resolve harmful or potentially harmful activities. In other words, officers will balance the needs of the individual against those of the wider community, which should be communicated clearly and early to complainants to set realistic expectations.