Perth Voice Interactive

AN inquisitive Stirling resident will spend another year on the “Restricted Customer” list, limiting contact with Stirling council staff after his queries were deemed “unreasonable” back in 2016.

Resident Robert Mitchell attends almost every council meeting to pose queries at public question time, and he’s been critical on a plethora of issues ranging from Stirling’s management of its properties and its confidential expenditure on contracts, to traffic management and tree planting.

But as for what got him on the restricted customer list, Mr Mitchell says via email: “I am at a loss to know what the trigger was”. 

He says it may relate to what he describes as his “admonishing” of a manager back in 2016, but he also recalls getting an “adverse reaction” when he queried how much the council spent on volunteers.

Being on the restricted customer list doesn’t prevent Mr Mitchell from quizzing the council at public question time, where all communication with staff is mediated through the meeting’s chairperson (typically mayor Mark Irwin). 

But he’s been told not to call staff or make any in-person inquiries, instead being directed to mail in letters or use an online customer enquiry form.

The restriction is reviewed every 12 months, and on December 22 Mr Mitchell received an email advising that it would endure through 2024.

“The City acknowledges your right to ask questions, request information and express opinions about the City’s services and its officers,” the review email states, “however, upon review of your recent interactions with the City it has been determined that your behaviour constitutes unreasonable complainant conduct in accordance with the City’s Complaints Policy. 

“Therefore, your communication restriction will remain in place for a further 12 months with another review to be conducted in December 2024.”

We asked Stirling about the restricted customer list, and a written response states their complaints policy “determines the appropriate course of action in balancing the right of the customer to ask questions, express their views and make complaints while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the City’s employees.

“The City has a responsibility to respond and communicate appropriately. 

“It is expected that customers behave in a reasonable manner according to the City’s Customer Charter. 

“In circumstances where it is identified that the customer is demonstrating unreasonable behaviour the City may request that the customer cease or adjust their behaviour.”

If they don’t they can be restricted to communicating under specific terms, like only submitting queries in writing so they can be handled by staff with special training.

The response says “Out of more than 235,000 residents, less than 10 customers are captured by this policy. 

“In this specific case, the behaviours that remain at issue for the City include but are not limited to: hostile and inappropriate language, refusal to follow the restrictions of the policy by continuing to call employees, and, unreasonable requests.”

Mr Mitchell tells us he’ll continue making queries in the remaining format available to him, and when council meetings recommence for 2024 he says “rest assured I will be asking questions”.

by DAVID BELL