Community Reporting Tool
About the Community Reporting Tool
The City of Greater Bendigo has partnered with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to host its Community Reporting Tool (CRT) on our website.
If you have experienced racism, discrimination, hate-speech and religious vilification, or wish to raise concerns about breaches of your human rights or the mistreatment of others, you can use the tool to share your experience.
The VEOHRC understands that a formal process of making a complaint can be intimidating for some, so the Community Reporting Tool is a simple form for people to make short, direct and confidential reports.
All information provided through the Community Reporting Tool will be provided directly to the VEOHRC. The City will not hold any information. Making a report requires only a simple description of an incident, which is then sent directly to the VEOHRC via email.
FAQs
Read on if you have any further questions or privacy detail concerns regarding how information is stored by the VEOHRC.
One of the ways the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (the Commission) supports Victorians in understanding and standing up for their rights is through its enquiries, complaints and dispute resolution process.
The Commission understands that a formal process of making a complaint can be intimidating for some, so it has created a Community Reporting Tool (CRT) – a simple form that makes it easier for people to make short, direct and confidential reports about racism, discrimination, hate-speech and religious vilification, or to raise concerns about breaches of their human rights.
The CRT can be hosted on various websites, such as those belonging to Local Government organisations, and is an alternative to lodging a formal complaint. Making a report does not replace making a complaint but allows a community member to log the incident, request contact from the Commission and have the option of taking it further.
A report is a simple description of an incident. The information provided in your report supports the Commission’s ongoing advocacy work in addressing racism and religious discrimination in communities. The data collected is also used to provide de-identified data to Local Governments about what residents are experiencing locally.
In lodging a complaint, a person is seeking to access the Commission’s dispute resolution service. Depending on whether the issue is covered by legislation, the Commission will advise the person of their rights to make a complaint or be referred to an agency that is better suited to help with their issue.
You can make a complaint in writing by visiting the Commission’s Get Help page or ask for assistance from the Commission’s enquiry team who can help you to fill out the complaint form.
It was a recommendation to host the tool on the City’s website following discussions with members of the Refugee Settlement Network, who raised concerns around the increased number of COVID-19-related racism incidents in Greater Bendigo (for example, the targeting of residents with an Asian background).
It was also a recommendation in the City’s Human Rights Charter evaluation report.
Making a report requires only a simple description of an incident, which is then sent directly to the Commission via email. Reports are confidential, and community members can choose not to be contacted further. No information is held by the City.