Freedom of Information and Information Release Officer

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- Full-time
- Fixed-term - 12 months (leave cover)

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

Health Information Services (HIS) comprises the Medical Record Department, Freedom of Information, Clinical Coding Services and the Submissions team, with approximately 70 FTE across Austin Health’s three sites. The HIS is responsible for the management, integrity, reporting and governance of health information to support patient care, organisational decision-making, funding, research and compliance obligations. The service plays a key role in ensuring health information is accurate, accessible, secure and managed in accordance with legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements.

The Freedom of Information team manages Austin Health’s clinical, corporate and organisational records. The team ensures records are created, maintained, accessed, archived and disposed of in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements. The team also provides transcription services to support patient care delivery.

About the role

Austin Health is seeking a skilled and motivated Freedom of Information and Information Release Officer to join our team.



This is an excellent opportunity to apply your expertise in freedom of information (FOI), privacy, medico-legal requests and information governance while supporting high-quality, timely and legally compliant service delivery.

A regular day will see you:

- Coordinate FOI, medico-legal and other information release requests
- Interpret legislative and procedural requirements
- Oversee the production of records in response to subpoenas and other legal requests
- Review clinical and corporate records
- Identify consultation, exemption, redaction and disclosure issues
- Prepare detailed draft decisions, recommendations and correspondence for authorised decision-makers
- Monitor statutory timeframes
- Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to FOI Clerks

About you

To be successful in this role you’ll bring with you:

- Experience applying legislation relevant to information release, including the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic), Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) and related health, family violence and child information-sharing requirements, preferably within a health or public-sector environment.
- Ability to assess applications and prepare clear, well-reasoned recommendations about access, consultation, exemptions, redaction and disclosure.
- Ability to interpret clinical and corporate records, identify privacy,



confidentiality, legal and safety risks, and determine appropriate release or escalation pathways.
- Experience managing or supporting subpoenas, summonses, warrants, statutory information-sharing requests or comparable legal disclosure processes.
- Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear correspondence, explain complex legislative and procedural requirements, and communicate sensitively with applicants, patients, staff, external agencies and legal representatives.
- Ability to coordinate multiple requests, manage competing priorities, monitor statutory timeframes and maintain accurate records in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment.
- Ability to provide technical guidance, mentoring and quality assurance support to colleagues while contributing positively to team workflows.
- Capability in using electronic document, records or matter management systems, including supporting data quality, reporting and workflow improvement.

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding advantages, including:

- Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation.
- A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program.
- Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options.
- Mentoring and career development opportunities.

Work with us

We are c

📌 Freedom of Information and Information Release Officer (Melbourne)
🏢 Austin Health
📍 Melbourne