Right of Abode (ROA) Certificate and new Australian Passport - Fees Taken - Documents Missing!

[drengr]

Morning all - I hope someone can help with advice for my predicament and / or a means of contacting relevant officials.

Planning to travel home to Sydney for a vacation in March 2024, I applied for an received a new Australian passport last summer. As a long term holder of the Certificate to the Right of Abode in the UK (by virtue of being born to a British mother in 1968), I duly applied for a renewal of the ROA Certificate in September 2023. The relevant fees were debited from my current account on 30th of the same month, suggesting that work had begun on my renewal.

Trouble is, since then, I have received neither my passport with ROA Certificate applied, nor any communication from officials as to the state of progress for my renewal application. Despite searching repeatedly, I've not discovered any means of contacting the relevant offices in Liverpool to make enquiry - in fact, this course of action seems to be actively discouraged.

Worryingly, I'm now 7 weeks away today from my booked flight from London to Sydney and I'm at a loss where to turn for help. Does anyone have a useful suggestion or any useful information (especially how to contact!) that can help me break this impasse. I'm hoping that my documents have not been lost - I can ill afford to reapply again right now!

I'll be most grateful for any assistance - I'm thinking I can't be the only person this situation has descended upon. Please help if you can! James