State Anti-Discrimination / Equal Opportunity Complaint

Issuing authority

Anti-Discrimination NSW (NSW); Equal Opportunity Commission SA / Equal Opportunity SA (SA); Equal Opportunity Commission WA (WA); Equal Opportunity Tasmania / Anti-Discrimination Commissioner TAS (TAS); NT Anti-Discrimination Commission (NT)

Official source

How to apply

1. Identify the correct body: Anti-Discrimination NSW (antidiscrimination.nsw.gov.au), Equal Opportunity SA (equalopportunity.sa.gov.au), Equal Opportunity Commission WA (eoc.wa.gov.au), Equal Opportunity Tasmania (antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au), NT Anti-Discrimination Commission (adc.nt.gov.au)
2. Check the time limit — most bodies require the complaint to be lodged within 12 months of the last discriminatory act (SA and NSW confirmed at 12 months; other states similar)
3. Identify the ground (e.g. race, sex, disability, age, religion) and the area of public life (employment, goods/services, accommodation, education) involved
4. Complete the complaint form for your state — all five bodies offer online forms; NSW also accepts email ([email protected]) and post; SA has a downloadable PDF (OCEO Complaint Form March 2023); WA form at eoc.wa.gov.au/complaints-inquiries/complaint-form
5. Write a clear account of what happened (NSW recommends no more than 5 pages), identify the respondent, and attach copies of relevant documents
6. Submit the form online, by email, or by post — complaints can be submitted in any language (free translation available in NSW)
7. The body will assess the complaint, notify the respondent, and attempt conciliation; if unresolved, the matter may be referred to NCAT (NSW), SACAT (SA), the State Administrative Tribunal (WA), or the equivalent tribunal in TAS/NT

Related topics

Related forms

• Commonwealth Ombudsman Complaint
• Anti-Discrimination Complaint (Federal — AHRC)
• Privacy Complaint (OAIC)
• Police Misconduct Complaint (VIC — IBAC)
• Police Misconduct Complaint (NSW — LECC)