Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

OMBUDSMAN ACT 1976 - SECT 19ZS

Annual reports

  (1)   As soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, the Overseas Students Ombudsman must give an annual report to the Minister, for presentation to the Parliament, on the operations of the Overseas Students Ombudsman during the financial year.

Additional reports

  (2)   The Overseas Students Ombudsman may, from time to time, give the Minister, for presentation to the Parliament, a report:

  (a)   on the operations of the Overseas Students Ombudsman during a part of a year; or

  (b)   in relation to any matter relating to, or arising in connection with, the exercise of the powers, or the performance of the functions, of the Overseas Students Ombudsman.

  (3)   Subsections   (1) and (2) do not affect the powers and duties of the Overseas Students Ombudsman under section   19ZQ or 19ZR.

Tabling and inclusion in other reports

  (4)   If the Overseas Students Ombudsman gives a report to the Minister under subsection   (1) or (2), the Minister must cause the report to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the Minister receives the report.

  (5)   A report relating to the operations of the Overseas Students Ombudsman during a period may be included in a report under:

  (a)   section   19; or

  (b)   section   46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 ;

relating to the operations of the Ombudsman during that period.

Content of report

  (6)   A report relating to the operations of the Overseas Students Ombudsman during a period must:

  (a)   set out the number of complaints received by the Overseas Students Ombudsman under this Part during that period; and

  (b)   if the Overseas Students Ombudsman has investigated action under paragraph   19ZJ(2)(a)--set out:

  (i)   the number of such investigations started during that period; and

  (ii)   the number of such investigations completed during that period; and

  (c)   if the Overseas Students Ombudsman has investigated action under paragraph   19ZJ(2)(b)--set out:

  (i)   the number of such investigations started during that period; and

  (ii)   the number of such investigations completed during that period; and

  (d)   set out:

  (i)   the number of times when the Overseas Students Ombudsman has made a requirement of a person under section   9 (as that section applies because of sections   19ZM and 19ZN) during that period; and

  (ii)   the circumstances in which each of those requirements was made.

  (7)   A report relating to the operations of the Overseas Students Ombudsman during a period may include:

  (a)   details of the circumstances and number of occasions during that period where the holder of the office of Overseas Students Ombudsman decided, under section   19ZK, to transfer a complaint to a statutory complaint handler or statutory office - holder; and

  (b)   details of recommendations made during that period in reports under section   19ZQ; and

  (c)   statistical information about actions taken during that period as a result of such recommendations; and

  (d)   details of action that the Overseas Students Ombudsman took during the period to promote best practice in dealing with complaints; and

  (e)   details of the Overseas Students Ombudsman's observations during the period regarding:

  (i)   any trends in complaints; or

  (ii)   any broader issues that arise from investigations.