There are some things to consider before you make a complaint.

Do you think someone has broken the law?

If you have a reason to believe that a person or a service provider has broken the law, you need to contact the police.  Visit the Tasmanian Police Service website.

Or you can phone: 000 in an emergency, or 1 3 1 4 4 4 for non-emergencies.

Are you worried about a person with a disability being abused or neglected?

Contact the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Their phone number is

1 8 0 0 8 8 0 0 5 2. It is open from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Are you worried about a child being at risk from abuse or neglect?

By law, all Tasmanians have a responsibility to report suspected child abuse or neglect. If the child is in immediate danger, you should call 000.

You can also call the Strong Families Safe Kids line on 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 at any time. If the child is not in immediate danger, you can call the same number between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

For more information on Child Safety in Tasmania, see Get Started to navigate to the Children, Youth and Families homepage.

Do you think that a person or service provider has discriminated against you?

Sometimes people have serious complaints about discrimination.  Discrimination is when you are treated unfairly or differently compared to other people.  A person may be discriminated against because of their race, age, sex, politics, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, the way they look, a past criminal record, their lifestyle, choice of clothing or their disability.

Have a look at the information on the Equal Opportunity Tasmania website.  This is the website of the Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and has some great resources to get you started. See Get Started for the link to take you to their website.

Do you know what it is you want to complain about?

Think about what you are worried about, or what has happened to upset you. We all have a lot of people who help us in our day-to-day life, and sometimes people make mistakes. Think about how serious the mistake is. Is it something that should never happen, or something that needs immediate action to stop, or is it a difference of opinion?

Think about whether your complaint is about a person and their behaviour, or the things they have said, written or threatened to do.

If you or someone you are concerned about are not in any danger, have you spoken to the person or service directly about your concerns?

Have you taken your complaint as far as it can go in that service or agency? For example, have you asked who else can help with your complaint?

– Service (e.g. your support provider): when you pay for a service you have rights about the quality of the service that you get, and you have some say in how the service is provided;

– System (e.g. a government department): sometimes your complaint will be about how a government department works, or the decisions they have made regarding your personal situation.

As an Australian consumer, you have rights when you purchase goods and services.  These are detailed in the Australian Consumer Law.

For services, your rights include that the service provider must:

– use due skill;

– take due care;

– be fit for purpose – they should do what they are meant to do;

– complete service within a reasonable time, or by a specific time if it is included in the contract.

Any contract you have with a service cannot remove your consumer rights. It is illegal for services to be false or misleading about the need for services, the quality of the service or the price of the service.

You can find out more about your consumer rights at the Australian Consumer Law website. See Get Started for the link.