The safety and wellbeing of all residents and staff in our accommodation centres is a priority for the Department and IPAS teams.
The Department is aware of and responding to local problems with the water supply to the accommodation centre referenced over recent weeks.
IPAS has been in contact with the Defence Forces, from whom the site is licensed, and the accommodation provider at the site, to work to resolve this issue.
As a temporary measure, tankered water is being provided to supplement water supplies on site as required. It is expected that the water supply issue will be resolved in the coming weeks and this matter will be kept under close review by the Department until it is resolved.
IPAS is always available to deal with any complaints from residents and residents are encouraged to engage with IPAS if they are unhappy with any aspect of their accommodation.
Each resident has access to details of the IPAS complaints procedure, and how residents can submit complaints about issues and problems in their accommodation. Complaints are handled sensitively and in confidence.
Residents can make complaints verbally or in writing to the centre manager. If residents are not satisfied with how a centre has dealt with a complaint, they can submit a formal written complaint to IPAS.
Residents can also submit written complaints directly to IPAS if they prefer. If a resident is not comfortable contacting centre management or the Department directly, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) operate a confidential support helpline for all residents being accommodated by IPAS.
If a resident is not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint submitted to IPAS, a complaint can be submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman or the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.
