If you have experienced injury, loss or damage that is believed to be due to Council negligence, you can submit a claim for compensation below. It’s important to remember that if you submit a claim, we can’t promise compensation.
Make a claim
Legal disclaimer
The material on this website, including frequently asked questions (FAQs) and any other informational material, is provided for general information only, and on the understanding that Glen Eira City Council (Council) is not providing professional advice on a particular matter.
Council makes no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information on this site for any particular purpose.
This website contains information that is intended to simplify the law for ease of comprehension. In addition, errors or omissions can occur in the preparation of web pages. Laws and regulations vary by location and may change over time, and their application can vary widely based on the specific facts and circumstances involved. Therefore, before relying on the material, users should independently verify its accuracy, completeness, relevance for their purposes and that it is up-to-date.
Before any action or decision is taken on the basis of any material on this website the user should obtain appropriate independent professional advice.
Links to other websites are provided for the user's convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.
Users of this website are also directed to our privacy collection notice.
Council is not responsible for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage related to your use of this website or reliance on the information provided here, whether from errors or omissions in the content of our site or any other linked sites, from the site being down or from any other use of the site.
Before you make a claim
- If you haven’t already, fill out our Claim Tool to understand if we may be able to compensate you.
- Prepare the relevant documents. During the claim submission, you may be asked to submit the following:
- A coloured photograph of the incident site, marked with an ‘X’ to show the specific location and cause of your incident.
- Details of the specific type and amount of compensation you are seeking from Council.
- Written copies of the expert opinions or reports that prove Council is responsible for the incident.
- Evidence of permission to act on behalf of another person if you are claiming on someone else’s behalf (ie. power of attorney, Court document or a written and signed authorisation).
- For damaged pipes, CCTV footage of the area if available. This may include footage taken from your plumber as evidence to substantiate their findings and assist Council in our investigation.
- Your cooperation is appreciated and any evidence you provide may reduce the time it takes Council to investigate, make an assessment and respond to you in a timely manner. Keep in mind that after you submit your claim, it usually takes three to four months for us to investigate and reach an outcome. We will contact you with our decision after this time.
If you need help filling out this claim form, please contact our Customer Service on 9524 3333.
After you make a claim
- When we receive your submission, we will first assess if Glen Eira City Council is the appropriate organisation to address your claim. In some cases, we may redirect you to the relevant third-party respondent.
- We then assess if your submission is classified as a claim, complaint, or request for service.
- Submissions assessed as complaints or requests for service are referred to the relevant Council department.
- If your submission is classified as a claim, we will send you a confirmation email.
- We will then begin investigating to determine if Council's negligence was a factor in your incident.
- We will contact you if we require additional information or evidence.
- It usually takes three to four months for us to investigate, we will get in touch with you via your preferred contact method with an outcome. You do not need to contact us during this time except if you need to provide us with further information about your claim.
- If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can request a review as per our internal review process and policies.
We understand that waiting can be challenging. Our investigations aim to gather information from various sources and departments. Your patience throughout this process is appreciated, and we assure you that we're working diligently to assess your claim and respond to you as quickly as we can.
FAQs
How are claims evaluated?
Claims related to the liability of Council for injuries, property damage, or losses are carefully assessed based on the law (eg. legislation and legal precedents). Council also relies on several statutory and precedent-based defences.
For Council to be liable, it must be proven that Council owed a duty of care and breached that duty of care, which resulted in damage.
What should I do if my property or vehicle has been damaged?
In all cases, we recommend that you contact your insurer first. This is because:
- Your insurer will be able to arrange an evaluation of any damage.
- Your insurer will usually be able to repair the damage much faster than if you wait for the result of our investigation. Our investigations can take three to four weeks months or longer.
- For damage to vehicles, the insurance excess for an insurance claim is usually less than the Road Management Act threshold amount ($1,580).
If you make an insurance claim, please provide us with your insurer details and claim number with your request so that we can speak directly to your insurer.
How long does the claim process take?
The investigations of claims can take around three to four months, and sometimes longer as we are often required to collect information from across various departments and sources.
We understand that waiting can be challenging. Our investigations aim to gather information from various sources and departments. Your patience throughout this process is appreciated, and we assure you that we're working diligently to assess your claim and respond to you as quickly as we can.
We will contact you to process your compensation claim if we require more information.
Why am I asked to include photographs/CCTV footage in my claim report?
Photos taken at the incident location help us to:
- Identify the exact location of the incident so we can move forward with your claim.
- Determine ownership and who (eg. the correct Council department or contractors) may be responsible for maintenance.
- Act as evidence of the condition of the site at the time of the incident.
What happens if I’m not satisfied with the response to my claim?
If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can request a review as per our internal review process and policies.
I need accessibility support or help making a claim
If you require assistance with filling out our claim form, please contact our Customer Service team on 9524 3333 and with your consent, we will assist you in filling out the form over the phone.
For other accessibility-related issues, please contact us.
The information provided on this webpage and in the claim tool is general in nature. This information does not cover all potential circumstances that may be considered by Council on a case-by-case basis. Please seek your own legal advice if you are unsure about any part of your claim.
Privacy collection notice
Glen Eira City Council (Council) is committed to protecting the personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) (PDP Act). Personal information such as name, address, contact information and incident details are collected by Council only for the purpose of its functions set out in Local Government Act 2020 (Vic) and other legislation. Personal information is collected for the purpose of processing your claim for compensation. Personal information will be stored and used by Council for that purpose and secondary purposes (related to the primary purpose of collection such as internal reviews, legal compliance, or improving Council services). If this information is not collected, Council will be unable to process your claim for compensation. In certain circumstances, we may disclose information about you where permitted or authorised under the PDP Act or other applicable laws such as to obtain external legal advice or to service providers involved in the claims process. If you want to know more about privacy at Council, including your right to seek access to your personal information, contact Council's privacy officer on 9524 3333. Council's Privacy Policy is available on our privacy page.
