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Commonwealth act
The Ombudsman Act 1976 is the foundation law that sets up the Commonwealth Ombudsman — an independent official whose job is to investigate complaints from members of the public about how Australian government agencies have treated them.
Anyone who has dealt with a federal government agency and feels they've been treated unfairly, had a decision made against them, or been ignored. This includes:
The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about how government agencies and certain private bodies have acted. If you've been treated unfairly by a federal agency — whether through a bad decision, unreasonable delay, a refusal to act, or poor administration — you can complain.
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Direct links to the current provisions in Ombudsman Act 1976.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
The Ombudsman can also start investigations on their own initiative, without waiting for a complaint.
There are important limits. The Ombudsman cannot investigate:
The Commonwealth Ombudsman actually wears several different hats under this law, acting as:
The Ombudsman has power to transfer your complaint to the right body — such as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Information Commissioner, the APS Commissioner, or the AFP Commissioner — so you're not left without recourse.
This law gives ordinary Australians a free, independent avenue to challenge government behaviour without going to court. It's a critical accountability mechanism that keeps government agencies answerable to the people they serve.