National Archives of Australia - Annual reports

Table 18: Internal reconsideration of access decisions, 2006–07 to 2010–112006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11Internal reconsideration of access decisionsCarried over from the previous year 27 28 31 25 0New requests received during the year 34 48 49 220 28Internal reconsideration applications processedDecision maintained 7 22 41 217 23Decision modified 22 23 14 4 5Request withdrawn 4 0 0 0 0Time taken to respond to internal reconsideration applications0–14 days 4(12%)More than 14 days 29*(88%)* Most required referral to other agencies for expert advice on exemptions.19(42%)26(58%)12*(22%)43*(78%)4(2%)217*(98%)9(32%)19(68%)In 2010–11, the Archives received 28 applications forinternal reconsideration. Decisions were modified in18 per cent of cases, resulting in additional materialbeing released (Table 18). Where consultation withanother Australian Government agency or foreigngovernment is required, internal reconsiderations arerarely achieved within the 14-day statutory period.In 2010–11, the Administrative Appeals Tribunalreceived one application from a researcher who wasdissatisfied with decisions made by the Archives.The Archives also responded to two cases theAdministrative Appeals Tribunal received in previousyears (see page 40).Education programsTo encourage students to engage with archivalrecords, the Archives offers a range of educationalactivities and programs. Interstate and localschool visits to the Archives’ permanent exhibition,Memory of a Nation, continued to steadilyincrease with a total of 6688 students visitingthe National Office in 2010–11 (compared with5936 in 2009–10). Special programs focusing onthe Federation documents were delivered at theACT Schools Constitution Convention for Year 11students and the National Schools ConstitutionConvention for Year 12 students.Archives staff memberAndrew McEntee actsas a journalist from 1975to explain the events ofGough Whitlam’s dismissalto students at the ACTSchools ConstitutionConvention, NationalArchives of Australia,September 2010.Trudie HargraveReport on performance 29