VCAT has recently reminded us that partial access needs only to be provided if the applicant’s request states (or there are subsequent indications) that they are willing to obtain access to an edited copy of the relevant document with exempt or irrelevant matter deleted.
Where a request for access doesn’t state that access to an edited copy of the documents is sought, that is enough to confirm that partial access is not sought.
So partial access need not be contemplated by the agency if the FOI request is silent on the matter: Davies v Victoria Police [2022] VCAT 713, [90], President, Her Honour Justice Quigley