The Hobart City Council received 305 complaints in the 2024–25 financial year, more than double the 140 recorded the year before.
But the 118% jump is largely down to better record-keeping, not worse service, the council says.
The total includes 106 complaints lodged directly with the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre, which weren’t captured in previous reports.
When aquatic centre figures are excluded, complaints against the council’s customer service charter rose 42% to 199.
The increase may be “in part, attributed to improved processes for capturing, reporting and managing complaints”, according to a report prepared for councillors.
The aquatic centre topped the complaints list with 106 grievances, 63 about parking problems.
“Customers shared frustration due to the [lack] of available spaces during peak times and called for better monitoring/enforcement of the car park,” the report states.
“They additionally requested that access control functions be reinstated.”
Open space services attracted 42 complaints, mainly about overgrown vegetation and concerns the council was “inadequately responding to service requests”.
Complaints about general council processes accounted for 76% of the total. Employee behaviour and service delays made up the remainder.
Compliments held steady at 140 through official channels or 153 including the aquatic centre.
Councillors will be asked at tonight’s meeting to note plans to overhaul the council’s complaints policy, last updated in 2019.
The council also plans to roll out a new customer interface project in 2026–27.
Complaint and compliment reporting will expand to include Salamanca Market and the city’s multi-storey car parks.
