The Victorian government has been ordered to release details of confidential lockdown briefings after the state's privacy commission found there was significant public interest.
The state opposition, which applied for the release of the documents under Freedom of Information laws and has been calling for health advice to be publicly released since the start of the pandemic. The request was initially rejected, a decision partially overturned by the commission.
The Department of Health argued to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) that the disclosure of the documents would "substantially and negatively impact relations between the Commonwealth and states” and say the release of the documents could "jeopardise the trust and confidence between public officials and a minister.
The department has 14 days from the date it was given notice of the decision to appeal the ruling.