Suppliers are able to submit a complaint with regard to any procurement activity undertaken by Urban Utilities.

Complainant rights and responsibilities

Urban Utilities acknowledges the complainant’s right to:

  • make a complaint about a procurement activity,
  • be treated with respect and courtesy,
  • be treated equitably and fairly, and
  • be informed of the conduct that is expected of them.

Urban Utilities will always seek to address a procurement related complaint if it concerns a valid issue. However, if complainant’s conduct is seen to be abusive, threatening, unreasonable, or is making inappropriate demands on Urban Utilities’ time and resources, the Chief Procurement Officer will assess the level of risk and any other relevant factors in order to determine the most appropriate action to take. Employee safety and wellbeing is paramount and unreasonable complainant conduct will not be tolerated.

Making a complaint regarding a procurement activity

There are several steps that can be taken, and these are described below.

Before making a complaint, seek feedback from the respective Urban Utilities officer regarding why your offer wasn’t successful.

It is important to note that any feedback provided will be specific to your company only, that is, the strengths and weaknesses (if applicable) of your offer.  Under no circumstances will feedback be provided on the following:

  • Specific details of the evaluation process undertaken; or
  • the merits, shortcomings or costs of other offers

Feedback can be requested by:

  • emailing the contact person specified in the Request for Quote form; or
  • emailing the contact person specified in the letter from Group Procurement advising of the outcome of the procurement process.

If after receiving feedback via Step 1 you wish to pursue your complaint further, you will need to complete the Procurement Complaint Form.

The form must be submitted to the Chief Procurement Officer, Group Procurement via ProcurementComplaints@urbanutilities.com.au

On receipt of a procurement complaint, Urban Utilities will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 5 business days. We take complaints seriously. The time we spend investigating a complaint depends on the complexity of the complaint, but you will be kept informed of our progress and timeframes.  Simple complaints (that are not of a serious nature and/or not requiring extensive investigation or consultation) are to be resolved within 20 business days. If there is going to be a delay in responding to your complaint due to complexity or the requirement for extensive investigation, we will keep you informed of the progress.

Following consideration of the complaint and any investigation into the issue(s) raised, Urban Utilities will contact the complainant or their representative and advise them of:

  • the outcome of the complaint,
  • any action undertaken,
  • the reason(s) for the decision,
  • the proposed remedy or resolution/s, and
  • options for review.
     

By default Urban Utilities will respond to complaints in the same format that they were received. Complainants or their representative can request that the response be provided in another format to ensure accessibility.

If you still have concerns after taking the steps outlined above, there are other options.  Depending on your situation, you may wish to:

  • Refer the matter to the Queensland Ombudsman who can investigate complaints about the actions and decisions of Urban Utilities, which may be unlawful, unreasonable, unfair, discriminatory or otherwise wrong. For more details, contact the Ombudsman
  • Raise concerns about official misconduct if you believe this has occurred. Find out more by visiting the Crime and Corruption Commission website.