Back-
NSW Ombudsman 50 Year Anniversary Report is now available
The NSW Ombudsman has published a report capturing the office’s 50 years since establishment – half a century of unwavering commitment to independence, fairness and the public interest in New South Wales. The report written by Dr Lisa Murray, public historian, serves as a testament to the evolving role, impacts and the enduring legacy of the office over time.
The report includes the following introduction from NSW Ombudsman, Paul Miller:
Our functions and subject focuses have shifted significantly over the years. For much of our past, many of these changes could be presented as a steady and continual path of expansion and evolution, adding new bodies in jurisdiction and new functions. Legislative changes have frequently challenged us to focus on pro-active monitoring and review functions – allowing us to hone our capabilities for remedying not only individual injustices, but also looking to the systemic issues and injustices that drive them.
This expectation to be pro-active and to take a systems view is now widely accepted as central to the work of a modern-day Ombudsman. That said, throughout this growth and change over 5 decades, what has remained steady is the NSW Ombudsman’s continued commitment to its original and enduring role of providing a free, generally accessible and effective complaint-resolution service – a function which sits at the heart of what it means to be an ‘ombudsman’.
In this regard there are, from the very beginning of the office and continuing to this day, countless examples of small, quiet victories – individuals heard, difficult conversations had, decisions re-made, apologies given, policies adjusted, attitudes shifted – that didn’t make headlines or even a footnote in this publication, but which have made a difference in people’s lives.
Through this report we reflect on the office’s past and consider our history and achievements. The report also sets the stage for thinking about the continuing need for and importance of the Ombudsman’s work going forward, particularly in an increasingly complex and continuously changing environment where community expectations evolve, trust in public institutions becomes harder to earn, distinctions between public and private become less distinct, fiscal challenges (for individuals and for governments) increase, and technology continues to advance rapidly.
In this context, we will continue to bring to light what needs to change to improve fairness. We will do this, as we always have, with independence and impartiality, an objective, open-minded and courageous evaluation and reporting of the evidence, an unrelenting focus on the public interest, and a commitment to fairness both in the outcomes we seek and the way we do our own work. These are some of the features of our ‘Ombudsman-craft’.
To read the complete introduction and report, click here.
Source: The New South Wales Ombudsman, Australia
