Feedback and complaint handling process

We welcome your complaints and feedback. Your feedback is used as an indicator of our performance against our service standards and helps us to improve the way we do things.

It is important to know what works well. By telling us when you have received excellent customer service and what we got right helps us to recognise the efforts of our people and to ensure we replicate best practice across AMSA.

We will aim to resolve all complaints within 20 working days, however depending upon the nature of the complaint response times may vary. All complaints will be managed in a confidential manner, and you will be provided with updates during the investigation of your complaint.

You can provide all other written feedback and complaints by sending an email to feedbackandcomplaints@amsa.gov.au.

We have dedicated forms for complaints or feedback relating to the following areas:

• Accredited marine surveyor

How we treat your complaint

Once we acknowledge receipt of your complaint:

• a staff member will be assigned to your complaint and will aim to contact you within 5 working days.
• the staff member may need to speak to you to confirm your identity if they need to access and discuss your personal information.
• the staff member will work closely with you and may request you to provide further details to finalise the complaint.
• the staff member will aim to resolve your complaint within 20 working days.

You can call AMSA Connect and we will direct you to the staff member managing your complaint.

During the complaint resolution process, the staff member will:

• keep you informed of the progress of your complaint
• allow you to provide additional information or comments before finalising the complaint
• provide further information about further rights of review, including approaching other agencies such as the Commonwealth Ombudsman if you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint.

If you are not happy with the complaint resolution:

• Contact the staff member you have been dealing with. If you are not satisfied, please ask to speak with their supervisor or manager
• If you remained dissatisfied after taking these steps, you can write to:

Chief Executive Officer
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
GPO Box 2181
CANBERRA ACT 2601

or

send an email to feedbackandcomplaints@amsa.gov.au

• Finally, if you are not satisfied with the response provided by the AMSA CEO or the way we have handled your complaint, contact:

Commonwealth Ombudsman
GPO Box 442
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: 02 6276 0111
Toll Free: 1300 362 072

Need help contacting us?

If you need help interacting with us, you can access telephone interpreting services through the Translating and Interpreting Service by calling 13 14 50.

Administrative decisions and Freedom of Information

This service charter deals with the quality of service that we provide to you, our clients. If you are not satisfied with an administrative decision that affects you, you may have the right to seek review of that decision. We notify you of your rights of review and appeal when delivering an administrative decision. The public also are entitled to apply for access to documents that fall within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Monitoring and review

We regularly review our customer feedback mechanisms, including the currency of our service charter, to ensure that it continues to reflect our customer’s service expectations.

We monitor our performance against our service charter through the AMSA Management System, which includes a review process. We regularly publish information about our functions, our governance, and planning and reporting.