Energy & Water Ombudsman WA

Each year we sponsor National Reconciliation Week street banners with Reconciliation Australia as part of our ongoing commitment to actively support reconciliation in our work: protecting people's rights, improving services, preventing harm and supporting vulnerable communities.

This morning our staff had a Reconciliation Week morning tea, an opportunity to gather, listen to the Uluru Statement and recognise the significance reconciliation has in our everyday work. We joined the Sorry Day Flower Project creating purple Native Hibiscus flower art, a community-led initiative by the South West Aboriginal Women's Collective. Find out more about this initiative and how you can get involved here South West Aboriginal Women's Collective.

This year, National Reconciliation Week calls us to be ‘All In’ – for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every day.

At today's Reconciliation Week breakfast in Optus Stadium, Ombudsman WA staff listened to a remarkable morning of truth telling, calling us to continue showing up and listen. That it is by listening to understand the past, we can understand the present to truly walk together for meaningful change in the future.

See upcoming events for National Reconciliation week in WA here http://bit.ly/4ftqcAH Reconciliation Australia

This week some of our front line staff attended Mental Health First Aid training with Tanya Hallett from Trauma Informed Practice Training.
A very important step for our office is improving psychological safety and resilience in our teams, and supporting our staff to deliver trauma informed services.
This helps people in our community be heard, improves services and promotes the safety of vulnerable people.
For more information or to make a complaint, call us on Freecall 1800 754 004 or visit https://energyandwater.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/

We are currently seeking an Executive Support Officer for the Complaint Resolution Branch. This opportunity will be a permanent appointment.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this position under Section 51 of the EOA 1984 as a measure to achieve equality and increase workforce representation of Aboriginal people.

https://search.jobs.wa.gov.au/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=405615

Applications close 1pm, Monday 13 April 2026.

Celebrating Harmony Day.
Last week we joined the City of Belmont, WA's Twilight Harmony Festival alongside the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office. Some of our team also headed south to participate in the Shire of Katanning's Harmony Festival for the first time.
These were wonderful celebrations bringing together the rich cultural diversity of our community, and an opportunity for our staff to chat with local residents and organisations about our services.
We bought posters in 16 different languages to the events and have translated information sheets on our website. People can also contact us using a representative or through an interpreter service.
For more information or to make a complaint, call us on Freecall 1800 754 004 or visit https://energyandwater.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/

This morning for International Women's Day (IWD) in Kununurra, Principal Assistant Ombudsman Complaint Resolution Brianna Lonnie spoke at the breakfast hosted by the East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Brianna spoke about access to justice being a human right, accessibility beginning with awareness, and creating accessible workplaces that allow women to fully participate and not limit their economic empowerment, independence or future career opportunities.
IWD celebrates the leadership and contributions of women, and calls attention to ongoing actions to balance the scales on gender equality.
As part of our Regional Awareness and Accessibility Program, our staff are in Kununurra this week following up complaints and speaking with organisations about issues our services can help resolve.
Contact us for more information on freecall 1800 754 004 [email protected]

For those in the Wheatbelt region, our team are at Wagin Woolorama today and tomorrow Saturday 7 March. Working alongside Ombudsman WA, Consumer Protection WA and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, you can find us in the Home & Lifestyle Pavilion and find out how we can help with complaints about:
- An electricity, gas or water provider
- A State Government Agency
- A local government (your city, town or shire)
- Housing, motor vehicles, scams or Australian Consumer Law
- A phone or internet provider
Or contact us for more information on freecall 1800 754 004 [email protected]

💡 What do you do when you hit a brick wall with a service provider?

That was the focus of tonight’s Chamber Connect – Ombudsman Small Business Forum, and it was fantastic to see local Narrogin businesses come along to learn more about the support available.

We heard from representatives from Ombudsman Western Australia, the Energy and Water Ombudsman WA, and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, who shared how their free and independent services can help small businesses resolve disputes with government agencies, utilities and telecommunications providers.

Some key takeaways from the night 👇

✔ These services are free for small businesses
✔ They help when issues can’t be resolved directly with a provider
✔ Lodging a complaint can often prompt quicker responses and action
✔ Keeping clear records of communication and invoices is important

It was a really informative evening and a great opportunity for our local business community to connect and learn about support services available to them.

A big thank you to our presenters for travelling to Narrogin and sharing their expertise.