Report E-Government Service Outages - Perth Council

Technology and Data Western Australia 4 Minutes Read ยท published February 11, 2026 Flag of Western Australia

In Perth, Western Australia, council-run online services can fail or be degraded just like any other IT system. This guide explains how residents, businesses and contractors should report e-government service outages to the City of Perth, what the council can and cannot do under its published processes, and how to escalate urgent interruptions affecting payments, permits or safety-critical systems. It covers who to contact, likely timelines, enforcement and appeals, and the practical steps to document and follow up an outage so the council can respond quickly.

Report outages promptly and include screenshots, timestamps and affected URLs.

What to report

When contacting council about an e-government outage, include:

  • Exact time and duration of the outage or error.
  • Steps to reproduce the failure and any error messages.
  • Affected services (online payments, e-forms, permit portals) and URLs.
  • Your contact details and preferred contact method.

How to report to Council

Use the councils official contact channels so the report is logged and routed to IT, customer service or the relevant operational team. For general complaints and feedback the council publishes its process and escalation points via its official complaints page City of Perth - Complaints and Feedback[1]. For immediate notification or service requests, use the councils contact page to phone or submit a web enquiry City of Perth - Contact Us[2].

If the outage affects payments or permits, note deadlines and keep evidence of attempted transactions.

Penalties & Enforcement

Council bylaws and complaint pages govern administrative complaints but do not normally prescribe monetary fines for IT outages. Specific fines or penalties for service outages are not defined on the councils public complaints and feedback page; where numeric penalties apply they are set out in the controlling instrument and must be cited directly by the councils published rules City of Perth - Complaints and Feedback[1]. Therefore:

  • Fine amounts: not specified on the cited page.
  • Escalation: first, repeat and continuing offence procedures are not specified on the cited page.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: council may issue remedial orders, service directives or seek court orders where statutory obligations are breached; specific remedies for IT outages are not detailed on the cited page.
  • Enforcer: complaints are managed by the councils customer service and relevant business unit (ICT/operations); use the official contact page to lodge reports and requests for review City of Perth - Contact Us[2].
  • Appeal/review: the councils complaints procedure describes internal review steps and external appeal options; time limits for lodging formal complaints are provided on the complaints page or are not specified on the cited page.
  • Defences/discretion: the council may accept a "reasonable excuse" or rely on force majeure/third-party service failure; any permitted variances or exemptions should be sought via the complaints process.
If a published fine or statutory remedy applies, the councils page will quote the controlling local law or instrument.

Applications & Forms

No dedicated outage-reporting form is published on the councils public privacy or complaints pages; instead, use the general contact/enquiry channels or the complaints form where the issue requires formal review. For privacy or data-breach concerns consult the councils privacy statement for how to lodge a privacy complaint City of Perth - Privacy[3].

Action steps

  • Document the time, service and errors immediately.
  • Take screenshots and record transaction IDs or reference numbers.
  • Submit a report via the councils contact page or complaints form and request a ticket/reference.
  • If payments or permits are affected, note statutory deadlines and request an administrative extension in writing.
  • If unsatisfied with the council response, follow the published internal review and external appeal options on the complaints page.

FAQ

How do I report an online payment failure to the council?
Document the transaction, include screenshots and submit via the councils contact page or complaints process; request a reference number and ask for remedial action or an extension if a deadline is affected.
Will I be refunded or fined if a council system prevents me from paying?
Refunds or penalties depend on the councils controlling instruments; if an outage prevented payment, follow the complaints process to seek relief or a waiver.
Who handles data or privacy concerns arising from a service outage?
Privacy complaints should be lodged via the councils privacy channel; the privacy statement explains how such matters are assessed.

How-To

  1. Record the outage time, affected URL and error messages.
  2. Capture screenshots and any payment or permit reference numbers.
  3. Submit a report through the councils contact page or complaints form and request a ticket reference.
  4. If the issue affects legal deadlines, ask for an administrative extension in writing and retain proof of the outage report.
  5. Escalate to the councils formal complaints process if the initial response is inadequate.

Key Takeaways

  • Report e-service outages promptly with clear evidence and timestamps.
  • Use the councils official contact and complaints channels so the issue is logged and escalated.
  • If statutory deadlines are affected, request an extension in writing and follow the complaints procedure.

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