Resolved complaint (178) about racial discrimination in the provision of goods and services
Learn how a complaint (178) about racial discrimination in the provision of goods and services was resolved through conciliation.
Summary
- Year: 2025
- Relevant Act: Racial Discrimination Act
- Grounds: Ethnic origin; National origin/extraction; Race
- Area(s): Goods, services and facilities
- Settlement terms:
- Goods/services/facilities - revised terms and conditions
About the complaint
The complainant is of Chinese ethnic and racial origin and alleged the respondent council erected a sign in English and Chinese stating “no spitting, littering or smoking”. The complainant said that in response to concerns raised with council that the sign appeared to single out Chinese people, council made references to “Western culture” and “other cultures” and stated the sign promoted respectful behaviour and compliance with local norms and regulations.
The council said the sign was not intended to single out Chinese people and was designed to incorporate the two main languages spoken in the local area.
The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the sign would be modified to include only text in English and that council review its approach to the design of future signage and how community languages are incorporated.
Guidance on the use of these summaries
This is a summary of a selected complaint that has been resolved through our conciliation process. It's designed to help people better understand how complaints might be resolved and what outcomes are possible.
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Please note:
- all complaints are de-identified
- complaints are resolved on a 'without admission of liability' basis
- some content may include confronting or offensive language.
