Make a claim against Council

Have you experienced a loss or damage you believe Nillumbik Shire Council may be responsible for?

Council is here to support our community through a wide range of services, all made possible thanks to the contributions of our ratepayers and other funding sources.

We understand that sometimes, despite our best efforts in delivering more than 100 different services and upholding local bylaws, you might experience a personal loss or damage that you believe is a direct result of something Council did, or didn't do.

In these situations, it's important to know that the responsibility for demonstrating Council's liability rests with you, as the person bringing the action against Council. Gathering clear evidence that directly links the incident, your loss, and Council's actions will be key to your claim. While we always aim to be responsive, there are circumstances where Council may have valid reasons why we weren't aware of or couldn't prevent a particular issue.

What you need to do

If you believe you have a claim against Council, here's what you'll need to do.

• Gather supporting evidence
  Collect any relevant documents or reports (at your own cost) that clearly show the connection between the event, your loss and Council's involvement. This might include reports from engineers, arborists, doctors or quotes for repairs.
• Understand our limitations
  Council can only address losses or damages that are directly our responsibility. We can't assist with issues caused by neighbours, VicRoads, sporting clubs or other third parties. You'll need to contact those entities directly to seek resolution.

How Council handles claims

Depending on the nature and value of your claim, we may manage it internally or refer it to our insurers. As a publicly accountable organisation, if we determine that Council is liable, we're committed to finding a fair resolution as quickly as possible. Be aware that once a claim is with our insurers, Council is no longer able to actively negotiate.

Repairs on private property

While Council doesn't undertake repair work on private land, if we've accepted liability, we'll ask you to provide formal quotes from qualified tradespeople. We'll review these quotes and may offer payment.

Our commitment to responsible spending

As guardians of your ratepayer money, we have a duty to ensure all funds are used responsibly. This means that if we can't reasonably establish Council's liability, we won't offer settlements simply to resolve a matter. We believe in having open and honest conversations about claims, even when they are difficult. It's also important to remember that claims below our insurance excess are paid directly from Council funds, which ultimately comes directly from our ratepayers.

How we can engage with your claim

While we can't provide you with legal advice or assist you to support your claim – as this would be unethical and conflict with our obligations to our insurers – we are committed to reviewing your claim with an open mind and working towards a fair and justifiable outcome.

All claims matters should be referred to risk@nillumbik.vic.gov.au.