You reported a problem to your council. Maybe it was a pothole, a street light that is out, or a pile of dumped rubbish. Then nothing seemed to happen for a while. This post explains what usually happens inside a council after you send a report, why some jobs take longer than others, and how you can hear back.
Every council works a little differently. The steps below are typical, not a promise for any one council.
Step 1: The council receives your report
Your report arrives at the council through the channel you used: a phone call, an email, a web form or an app. In many councils, a customer service officer reads each new report first. In others, the system sorts reports by type automatically.
At this point the council gives your report a reference number. Keep it. It is the fastest way to ask about your report later.
Step 2: Someone checks it
An officer checks a few things before the job goes further:
- Is it the council's job? A highway, a power pole or a private car park may belong to someone else. If so, the council may pass your report on, or tell you who to contact.
- Is it already known? Other people may have reported the same problem. The council links the reports to one job.
- Is anything missing? If the location is not clear, the officer may contact you to ask.
This is why a clear location, a photo and your contact details help so much. With all three, an officer can decide in a minute without a visit.
Step 3: The council sets a priority
Councils cannot fix everything at once. They decide what comes first based on risk. A deep pothole on a busy road, or a fallen tree across a footpath, comes before a faded sign. Many councils set a target time for each type of problem.
Your report may wait in a queue behind more urgent jobs. That does not mean the council has forgotten it.
Step 4: A team or a contractor is assigned
The council sends the job to the people who do the work. That may be the roads crew, the parks team, waste services, an electrician or a contractor. For street lights, the council may pass the job to the company that maintains the lights.
Some jobs need an inspection first. An inspector looks at the problem, decides what repair it needs and orders the materials.
Step 5: The work is done
The crew does the repair. Sometimes the first repair is temporary, such as a quick patch on a pothole. A permanent repair may come later as part of a larger job in the same area.
Some jobs take longer for good reasons:
- the council must order parts, such as a new sign or a light fitting
- the job needs a road closure or traffic control
- the weather is too wet for the repair to last
- the work is part of a planned program, such as resurfacing a whole street
Step 6: The council closes the request
When the job is done, the crew or the supervisor marks it complete. The request closes.
How you hear back
This is the step that varies most. Some councils phone or email you when the job is done. Some send automatic updates. Some do not reply unless you ask.
In Localtech Eye, your report is emailed to the council's customer service team today, with your photos, the map point, the address and your contact details. The council then contacts you directly.
We are also building a link to Localtech Core, our council ERP. When it is ready, residents of councils that use it will see progress in the app: received, scheduled, in progress, completed. That is not available yet.
Either way, the council has your name and contact details, so it can reply to you. Your report is not visible to other residents.
When to follow up
If you hear nothing for a while, it is fair to ask. Contact the council with your reference number. Ask if the job has a priority and an expected date.
Report again if the problem gets worse, for example if a pothole grows or a hazard becomes dangerous. Say that it is a follow-up, and give the first reference number.
If someone is in danger, do not wait for a report. Call the emergency number: 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand, 999 in the United Kingdom, or 911 in the United States and Canada.
Tips for a report that gets fixed faster
- Give an exact location. A map pin is best.
- Add a photo, but only when it is safe to take one.
- Pick the right type of problem.
- Add a short description of the size and the risk.
- Leave a phone number or email.
For potholes in particular, read Who fixes the pothole? How to report it to your council.
Where Localtech Eye is available
Localtech Eye is live for Queensland councils in Australia. You can report a problem on the web today, and the iOS and Android apps are in App Store and Google Play review. New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada are now taking councils, but there is no resident service there yet.
For councils
If you work at a council and want residents to hear back without extra calls, read Citizen service requests: how councils take reports. Then book a demo to see how a report travels from a resident's phone to your team and back.