The Archives Act 1983 provides for the management of Commonwealth records. In brief, the Archives Act:
• regulates the disposal of Commonwealth records;
• requires agencies to transfer their records to the National Archives of Australia when they are no longer required by the agency or they are more than 15 years old; and
• establishes a general right of public access (from the Archives) to records that are more than 20 years old.19
The National Archives of Australia has issued a number of notifications, including guidance relating to recordkeeping responsibilities when the delivery of services is outsourced.
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19 Following amendments to the Archives Act 1983 approved by Parliament in 2010, the open access period for Commonwealth records as defined by the Act was reduced from 30 years to 20 years. Changes to the open access period for Commonwealth records took effect from 1 January 2011 and will be phased in over a ten year period. For further guidance refer <www.naa.gov.au>, Fact Sheet 10 - Access to records under the Archives Act.