Western Australian Consolidated Acts

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 1992 - SECT 27

27 .         Ways in which access can be given

        (1)         Access to a document may be given to the applicant in one or more of the following ways — 

            (a)         by giving a reasonable opportunity to inspect the document;

            (b)         by giving a copy of the document;

            (c)         in the case of a document from which sounds or visual images can be reproduced, whether or not with the aid of some other article or device — by making arrangements for the sounds or visual images to be heard or viewed;

            (d)         in the case of a document from which words can be reproduced in the form of sound — by giving a written transcript of the words recorded in the document;

            (e)         in the case of a document in which words are contained in the form of shorthand writing or in encoded form —by giving a written transcript of the words contained in the document;

            (f)         in the case of a document from which words can be reproduced in the form of a written document — by giving a written document so reproduced; or

            (g)         in the case of electronically, mechanically or magnetically stored information — by giving a written expression of the information in the form in which it is commonly available in the agency, or if there is no such common form, then in a form no less comprehensible than could be made available to the persons in the agency.

        (2)         If the applicant has requested that access to a document be given in a particular way the agency has to comply with the request unless giving access in that way — 

            (a)         would interfere unreasonably with the agency’s other operations;

            (b)         would damage or harm the document or would be inappropriate because of the physical nature of the document; or

            (c)         would involve an infringement of copyright belonging to a person other than the State,

                in which case access may be given in some other way.

        (3)         If the applicant has requested that access to a document be given in a particular way and access is given in some other way, the applicant is not required to pay a charge in respect of the giving of access that is greater than the charge that the applicant would have been required to pay if access had been given in the way that was requested.

        (4)         This section does not prevent the agency from giving access to a document in any way agreed on between the agency and the applicant.