• If anyone is in immediate danger or you want to report a crime, contact the police on 111. 

• If you are worried about a child and want to report a concern, contact Oranga Tamariki on 0508 326 459 

On this page you will find information about:

• How we can help and what we can help with

• The complaints and resolution process

• The support and protections available to you

We can help you resolve complaints about integrity in sport and recreation. Our services are free, confidential, and impartial.

Raising issues early can mean they are easier to resolve, can lead to better outcomes, and can reduce the harm to you and others.

Our processes are flexible and accessible and we try to resolve complaints in a fair, timely and responsive way. We can provide tikanga-based and culturally responsive support. We can also help children and young people be involved in decisions that affect them.

We accept complaints about integrity in sport and recreation, including:

• bullying, abuse, violence, harassment, intimidation, and sexual misconduct

• failing to keep children safe

• racism and other types of discrimination

• match-fixing, and

• corruption, fraud, and other dishonest conduct.

The behaviour needs to have happened in a sport or recreation environment or be related in some way to sport and recreation. Your complaint can be about a person or an organisation.

We also accept complaints about poor handling of integrity issues by an organisation. This includes when the organisation doesn’t have policies or rules in place to prevent integrity issues or doesn’t follow its own rules when something goes wrong.

There are some things we cannot help with such as breaches of on-field rules or disputes about selection. The Sports Tribunal of New Zealand can help resolve issues about selection, including hearing appeals about selection decisions of a national sport organisation or the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

If we’re unable to help you with your complaint, we will explain why and help identify other options for you. This might include making a referral to another organisation.

Find out about the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand

Before making a complaint to us, you can make a complaint with your club or organisation directly or try to talk to the person or organisation that you’re unhappy with. You don't need to try this before contacting us, but it can help. 

Raising an issue with your club or orgainsation 

Counselling and support services

Free and confidential counselling services are available to anyone involved in a complaint we are handling. This is provided by a third-party provider outside of the Commission and is confidential.

We can also point you in the right direction if you need additional support.

Find support services.

Legal advice and support

We do not provide legal advice. You may want to talk to a friend or family member, or seek legal advice, about whether making a complaint to us is right for you. You can withdraw your complaint or stop the process at any time.

Our processes are confidential. This means that we can’t share information about you or your complaint unless you give us permission, or in limited circumstances (such as when we are required by law or need to share it to prevent serious harm to you or someone else).

Sharing information about you and your complaint with the person or organisation you have complained about is usually required for us to be able to help.

You are protected from retaliation and victimisation. This is when an organisation or a person treats you unfairly because you make or plan to make a complaint to us or provide us with information.

Your friends, family and whānau are also protected from victimisation.

Under the Human Rights Act 1993, you can’t be treated less favourably than others in the same or similar circumstances because of your complaint. If you are victimised in this way, you may have legal remedies under the Human Rights Act.

Find out more about retaliation and victimisation

You can make an anonymous complaint over the phone or via Whispli, beside our complaint form.

A dispute resolution process (such as mediation) will require both parties to participate. This includes the person making the complaint and the person or organisation who is being complained about, and so will be unable to proceed anonymously.

Whether or not you wish to remain anonymous, if you have any safety, wellbeing or other concerns about submitting a complaint, please let the team know when you submit your complaint so we can handle the matter in the right way for you.

If you have any questions or are unsure about whether we can help, reach out to us for a confidential, no obligation chat.

Phone us: 0800 378 437

Email us: [email protected]