National Archives of Australia - Annual reports

which sets out the descriptive and contextualinformation that needs to be captured for recordsto retain their integrity and accessibility over timeand to aid discovery.During the reporting period, the Archives endorsedPrinciples and Functional Requirements forRecords in Electronic Office Environments –issued in 2011 as International Standard ISO16175 – for use by the Australian Government.This standard supports better management ofinformation in records management software andbusiness systems. Earlier versions of the standardproduced by the Archives provided the basis forthe International Standard.Arrangements for authorising destruction,retention and transfer of CommonwealthrecordsApproved arrangements for the retention,destruction and transfer to the Archives of recordsare provided through records authorities issuedunder section 24(2)(b) of the Archives Act. Recordsauthorities are based on an agency’s accountabilityrequirements, ongoing business needs and risks,and community interest including the need tosupport the entitlements of Australians as well aslong-term historical and cultural interests. The mostimportant agency records, identified as records ofnational significance, are transferred to the Archivesfor preservation and eventual public access.Practices followed or approved by the Archivesregarding the disposal of Commonwealth recordsremain consistent with Why Records Are Kept:directions in appraisal, a publication that outlinesthe Archives’ objectives and criteria for selectingrecords as national archives. During 2010–11, therewere no changes to these practices to report inaccordance with section 25(1) of the Archives Act.Twenty-nine records authorities were approvedby the Archives in 2010–11. Of these, 24 werefor specific agencies and five applied to multipleagencies. A full list of records authorities issued in2010–11 is at Appendix B.In October 2010, the Archives issued a recordsauthority approving the transfer of significantTasmanian railway records from the Commonwealthto the Tasmanian Government following the state’sresumption of control of the railway system. Theserecords include maps and plans relating to theearliest times of Tasmanian railways, as well asrecords necessary for the continued running ofthe system by the Tasmanian Government. TheArchives worked with the Australian GovernmentDepartment of Infrastructure, Transport, RegionalDevelopment and Local Government, and theTasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energyand Resources in developing this records authorityand arranging physical transfer of the records tothe Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office.In February 2011, the Archives issued a recordsauthority that streamlined approval to destroyrecords damaged beyond recovery in a naturaldisaster, an emergency or other unforeseencircumstance. The ability to destroy records quicklyis important where contamination may cause healthand safety issues.Ross Gibbs, then Director-Generalof the Archives, and Terry Moran,Secretary of the Department ofthe Prime Minister and Cabinet,discuss Royal Commission recordson display, Royal CommissionsRecords Authority signingceremony, National Archives ofAustralia, July 2010.Alanna BishopReport on performance 17