Main recommendations
The Archives Act should be replaced by a new Archives and Records Act. The principal objectives of the new legislation would be to ensure Commonwealth records are adequately evaluated, then either kept or destroyed at the appropriate time.
The new legislation would ensure a balance between protection of sensitive records, individual privacy and public availability of Commonwealth records, encouraging the greatest possible use archival material as a vital element in the history of the nation.
The National Archives of Australia should be replaced by a new independent statutory authority. The new authority would retain the name National Archives of Australia, but its independence and standing would be significantly enhanced. It would have two roles:
-
to protect all Commonwealth records of archival value; and
-
a supervisory role for all Commonwealth recordkeeping, with emphasis on the issue of standards and guidelines to ensure the adequate creation, maintenance and disposal of all records.
There should be mandatory uniform standards for all stages of Commonwealth recordkeeping from creation to disposal or archiving.
Storage and preservation standards should ensure that the accessibility and functionality of electronic records are preserved.
Many basic features of the public access regime should remain, including a statutory right of public access to all Commonwealth records which are 30 years old, subject only to appealable exemptions. However, public access provisions should be strengthened to enhance access to all records, including those less than thirty years old.
The full list of recommendations is contained in Appendix C of the report.