(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; or
(b) by
giving a copy of the document; or
(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; or
(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;
or
(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; or
(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; or
(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.