Annual Report 2017-2018 OmbudsmanNT
Tabled paper 934
Tabled Papers for 13th Assembly 2016 - 2020; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT
2018-10-31
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Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.
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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/304663
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/363371
46 CHAPTER 6 APPROACHES ENQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS NUMBER OF APPROACHES In 2017/18, there were 2,304 approaches to the Office (compared with 2,036 in 2016/17 and 2,568 in 2015/16). These varied from matters outside our jurisdiction (which we refer on where possible) to quick queries, to matters requiring more work on our part and ultimately to complaints requiring significant investigation. The top government agencies by approach received in 2017/18 are set out below.6 Department / Agency 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 Police, Fire and Emergency Services 560 504 609 Correctional Services(1) 430 324 401 Jacana Energy 85 83 134 Attorney-General and Justice(2) 54 58 67 Housing & Community Development 102 75 66 Power Water 84 44 46 Infrastructure, Planning & Logistics(3) - 43 33 City of Darwin (4) 28 17 25 Education 30 7 23 Charles Darwin University 25 20 22 Health 18 17 21 Territory Families 15 17 20 Notes (1) Numbers for Correctional Services will continue to be reported separately although it is now part of the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice. (2) Includes Fines Recovery Unit (19). (3) Includes Motor Vehicles Registry (14). (4) In total, there were 49 approaches in relation to local government councils compared with 44 in 2016/17. VARIATIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS In 2017/18, the total number of approaches to the Office fell between the approaches recorded in the two previous years. This did represent an increase over 2016/17 with the major contributors being NT Police, Fire & Emergency Services (105 more approaches), Correctional Services (77 more), Jacana Energy (51 more) and the Department of Education (16 more). The year was one of two distinct halves, with 1,001 approaches in the first half rising to 1,303 approaches in the second half. NT Police conduct approaches followed that trend with a 17% increase in the second half of the year, thanks primarily to very busy months in April and June. 6 The list reflects the names and structures in place at 30 June 2018. Substantial changes to the structure of some Government agencies were made following the advent of the new Government in August 2016. In some cases, this will make comparisons with earlier years problematic.