You can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to access documents held by Victorian Government Ministers or Departments (i.e. Ambulance Victoria).
You can request any personal information regardless of the documents and any non-personal documents that are not older than 5 July 1978.
Personal documents can include:
- Patient care records for yourself, a dependent or an individual that you hold Power of Attorney.
Non-personal documents can include:
- Advice provided to Ambulance Victoria by external service providers.
- Policy documents on a new initiative.
- Briefings and correspondence between Ambulance Victoria and a Minister.
- Data on Ambulance Victoria performance.
Making a request
Clearly describe the document/s you seek and include your full name, address, the freedom of information application fee (if applicable). If the request is for personal records, please include proof of identity (i.e. copy of drivers’ license or passport).
To avoid delay it helps to provide as much detail as possible, such as the type of documents, the date and case number (if known) that you are seeking access to.
Online
FOI request form
Once completed email the form to: foi@ambulance.vic.gov.au, or mail to:
Freedom of Information
Ambulance Victoria
Locked Bag 9000
Ballarat Mail Centre Vic 3354
Making a request for someone else
You can apply for a child’s information if you are the child’s guardian or have custody of the child (evidence is required). You can also apply for information of an individual that you hold Power of Attorney (documentary proof is required).
Freedom of Information process
Application fee
The FOI application fee is $32.70 (effective 1 July 2024).
The application fee must be paid for a request to be valid. However, the fee may be waived:
- If you hold a current health care/pension card, please provide a copy with your request.
- If you are experiencing financial hardship, please provide a copy of your current financial status as evidence.
- If Ambulance Victoria judges that the fee should be waived.
Other charges
The Act enables Ambulance Victoria to charge for access to documents, depending on the nature of the request, including:
- Search time – charged at 1.5 fee units ($24.50) per hour or part thereof.
- Photocopying – 20 cents per page.
- Providing written transcripts of recorded documents – reasonable costs incurred by the agency.
- Supervising an inspection of documents – charged at 1.5 fee units ($24.50) per hour to be calculated per quarter of an hour or part thereof.
- If access charges exceed $50, you must pay a deposit. If so, you will be notified to enable you to choose whether to proceed with payment or withdraw your request.
Expected response time
Under the Act, Ambulance Victoria must decide on a valid request within 30 days of the date the request was received. For a request to be valid it must be in written form and with sufficient clarity to enable the information sought to be easily identified and accompanied by the application fee. Requests for personal information require photo identification as is an authority to exchange information if applying on behalf of another individual.
If Ambulance Victoria decides you need to pay access charges you will be advised and you can dispute the charges. You must respond within 28 days.
We must notify you within 30 days of receiving your request if we are unable to identify any relevant documents. Once processed, we will send you a decision about your request.
Consulting others
If Ambulance Victoria receives a request to release information to you that contains personal information about other people, we must contact those people and give them 60 days to appeal the release of their details to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Refusal of a request
Ambulance Victoria will, whenever possible make information available. Under the Act we can refuse access to provide information in certain circumstances including documents:
- Containing matters of opinion, advice or recommendations provided by Ambulance Victoria staff or the staff of another agency.
- Concerning law and order or public safety.
- Subject to legal or client professional privilege.
- Containing information affecting personal affairs of another person.
- Subject to secrecy provisions in other legislation.
- Containing information about business affairs, another person, or an organisation.
Requesting a review
You have the right to seek a review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for review must be made within 28 days of receiving Ambulance Victoria’s decision.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome from a decision from the Information Commissioner, you have the right to appeal to VACT.
Such an appeal must be made within 14 days of receiving the decision from the Information Commissioner.
Further information
or contact:
Paul Maclean, Lead, Freedom of Information on (03) 9840 3749 or via email paul.maclean@ambulance.vic.gov.au
Part II: information statements
This Part II Statement demonstrates how Ambulance Victoria makes information readily available to the public. Providing easily accessible information to the public reduces the need to submit Freedom of Information requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).
This Statement is a statutory requirement under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) and outlines the role of Ambulance Victoria and provides a structured means to easily access information about key services, functions and reports. Please note that the statements below are not an exhaustive list of all information that is publicly available.
Updated