How Building Commission NSW handles general complaints

When a complaint is made

An assessment of the complaint will determine:

• the issues in dispute and options which will help resolve the complaint
• if a breach of the law has occurred
• if the matter would be better handled by another organisation
• whether we will assist with resolving your complaint, and if not provide you with our reasoning.

If another organisation should handle your matter, we will let you know and give you the appropriate contact details.

We will:

• contact the parties to try and reach a mutual resolution
• aim to resolve most complaints within 30 days.

For complex complaints or if the parties cannot reach a mutually agreeable outcome, this time may vary.

If a complaint cannot be resolved

If there is no mutual agreement between the parties, we will provide options to help the parties reach a resolution that can include:

• tribunals
• other government departments, or
• independent legal advice.

If the business is in another state or territory

If you are a resident of New South Wales and the problem with the product or service you purchased is outside of NSW, you can:

• contact us to discuss your issue
• lodge a complaint online.

We will follow the normal complaints process and try to resolve your issue with the trader. If we are unable to help, we will give you other options so you can pursue the matter.

If you are not a resident of NSW, you should first check with the residential building regulator in your state or territory.

If a law has been broken

If we find a law has been broken, we will:

• inform the trader and ask them to remedy it
• consider further compliance action to protect consumers.

It is important to note that the aim of compliance action is to prevent future problems, rather than resolving a dispute.