Service Standards

The services provided by the Ombudsman aim for the highest quality, to be open to scrutiny and accountable.

As such, the Office has developed a service charter (or Standards) against which our services can be assessed.

These service standards are:

Those we serve

The Ombudsman’s stakeholders are:

  • Community members of the Northern Territory
  • Government Agencies and Statutory Authorities
  • Local Government Councils
  • The Northern Territory Police Fire & Emergency Services
  • The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory

Our commitment

The Ombudsman and staff are committed to the following core values:

  • Fairness: We are independent and impartial. We respond to complaints without bias. We give everyone the chance to have their say. We do not take sides.
  • Integrity: We take action and make decisions based on our independent assessment of the facts, the law and the public interest.
  • Respect: We act with courtesy and respect. We recognise and respect diversity. We seek to make our services accessible and relevant to everyone. We consider the impact of our actions on others.
  • Professionalism: We perform our work with a high degree of expertise and diligence.
  • Accountability: We are open about how and why we do things. We are responsive and deal with matters in a timely manner. We allocate priorities and undertake our work so that the best use is made of public resources.

Our expectations of you

We ask that you:

  • Treat us with respect and courtesy
  • Be clear and frank in your dealings with us
  • Provide us with as much relevant information as possible when requested so that we can serve you better
  • Keep us informed of any new developments that have a bearing on your complaint

What we cannot do

We cannot:

  • Provide legal advice or representation; or
  • Act as an advocate
  • Investigate complaints that go beyond our jurisdiction;
  • Cancel or overturn infringement notices;
  • Remove credit listings;
  • Challenge the decisions of Ministers, Courts or the DPP.

For information on alternate complaint handling bodies go to: Not sure where to lodge your complaint? 

Feedback on our performance

We are committed to performing our statutory functions at the highest level and are always looking for ways to improve.

We monitor and review our performance regularly and conduct complainant feedback and satisfaction surveys.

We welcome comments and suggestions for improvement and will work to resolve any grievance you may have about the quality of our performance or conduct.

If you have an issue with the way our office is handling or has handled a complaint or enquiry, you should first raise it with the Ombudsman Officer assigned to deal with your matter.

If you still think the issue needs to be raised at a higher level, please put your concern in writing addressed to the Deputy Ombudsman.