ISSN 1321-6260
April 2023 - No 158
Privacy Awareness Week
We are proud Champions of Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2023
Privacy Awareness Week is a global campaign that involves both public sector agencies and citizens and aims to improve understanding and awareness of NSW privacy legislation, and to raise awareness of a person’s privacy rights and agency obligations.
Privacy Awareness Week NSW takes place from 1 to 7 May 2023. This year’s theme is Back to Basics: Privacy foundations in NSW.
In NSW, your privacy is protected by the:
- Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) which outlines how NSW public sector agencies, including government agencies, local councils and universities, manage and protect personal information
- Health Records Information Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act) which promotes fair and responsible handling of health information. The HRIP Act applies to an organisation in NSW that is a health service provider or that collects, holds or uses health information. This includes both public and private sector organisations.
For more information on how State Records NSW collects and manages information, please see our Privacy Management Plan .
Information directly relating to how State Records NSW will share information about Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) with Museums of History NSW to support the administration of the State Records Act has also been updated in our Privacy Management Plan.
Should SROs not want their information shared with MHNSW they can opt out by emailing: govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au. General inquires can also be made to this address.
For more information related to Privacy Awareness Week 2023, go to www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/PAW2023
Back to topWhat’s new?
Notices policy
There is a new monitoring mechanism in the State Records Act 1998.
Section 12(5) of the State Records Act allows State Records NSW to issue a notice to a public office directing the public office to conduct an assessment of its recordkeeping processes and records management program, and to provide State Records NSW with a report on the findings arising from the assessment. Additionally State Records NSW may include information in State Records NSW’s annual report if we are not satisfied with a report, or the findings of a report.
This new power is an escalatory power. It’s a power that can be used when other monitoring mechanisms in the State Records Act have been unsuccessful. These other monitoring mechanisms can be found in sections Section 12(4) and Section 15.
In the first instance, State Records NSW will always work with a public office to seek a cooperative resolution to a recordkeeping or records management issue and use the monitoring mechanisms. If these mechanisms are unsuccessful and the issue has not been able to be resolved, State Records NSW will escalate the approach being taken and consider the use of the notices power (section 12(5) of the Act).
State Records NSW has developed a policy to establish principles and a framework for decision-making in using the new notices power. The policy covers how State Records NSW will issue a notice, respond to the report provided by the public office to State Records NSW, and how we will report on notices in our Annual Report. The policy is available on our website.
Access to information on our website
State Records NSW is continuing to improve communications and access to information through our website. Latest updates include:
- State Records NSW's corporate policy suite
- State Records NSW’s Corporate Plan
- State Records NSW's Board and Board Charter
Recently approved
Retention and disposal authorities
State Records NSW Board has recently approved the following Retention and Disposal Authorities (RDAs):
- Mining subsidence compensation
- Social Housing, Housing Assistance & Protected Tenants (revisions)
- The Audit Office of NSW (revisions)
The Board also approved the revoking of the General Retention and Disposal Authority: records relating to the costing of election promises (GA27)
PDFs of approved retention and disposal authorities are available from our website:
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Recordkeeping
Records Managers Forum
On Monday 13 March, State Records NSW and Museums of History NSW hosted the first in-person Records Managers Forum since 27 November 2019.
Over 60 people gathered to hear about recent legislative changes, tour behind-the-scenes of the State Archives Collection and the Government Records Repository, and network with other professionals.
More Forums are planned in coming weeks.
Seen at the Forum
Western Sydney Records Centre (WSRC) virtual walkthrough tour
Conservation stories for MHNSW: https://mhnsw.au/tags/conservation/
Archival Collection display items:
GRR contact and information:
Update on Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise
Thank you to all the public offices that participated in this year’s Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise. We have received a very good response to the annual reporting exercise.
A summary level report of results of the monitoring exercise will be published on our website and in our Annual Report in the first quarter of 2023-24. The reporting will enable public offices to undertake benchmarking and see how they are performing against the jurisdiction of the Act. In this year’s report we will also be publishing a list of organisations that did not make a submission to the Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise.
From July 2023, public offices can also access an updated response scorecard. The scorecard can be viewed in the organisation’s submission to the 2023 Monitoring Exercise and is accessible in the Monitoring Portal.
We will contact all public offices to advise when reports on the 2023 Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise are available.
The next Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise will be held in March 2024.
If you have any queries about the Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise, contact us at
govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au
Upcoming review of Standards
The Standard on records management establishes the requirements for effective records and information management. The Standard on the physical storage of State records establishes the requirements for the storage of active and semi active State records which have a physical format.
As both standards are over 5 years old, State Records NSW is now commencing a project to review both standards to ensure that the requirements are relevant and assist public offices in implementing best practice in records management and records storage.
An important part of this project is your feedback on the two standards. In early May we will contact all public offices seeking your feedback on the two standards and providing a link to an online form designed to collect this feedback.
Museums of History NSW news & updates
Access Directions - online tool available now
The Service Portal operated by Museums of History NSW and State Records NSW now offers an access directions tool. The Service Portal can be reached at the Agency Services webpage here
Public offices can use the tool to review and renew their existing access directions, and to register new access directions.
Help sheets on how to use the access directions tool will be available on the Agency Services webpage.
It is vital that agencies consider their access directions in preparation for the significant changes that will commence on 1 January 2024, including:
-
The Open Access Period being reduced from 30 years to 20 years
- State records becoming open to the public by default once they are 20 years old unless otherwise closed through a Closed to Public Access direction.
Renewing or registering access directions now will ensure the appropriate balance of continuing public access to State records and protecting records that should be closed for more than 20 years.
Live webinar to demonstrate the access directions tool – 16 May 2023
In addition to the help sheets, the Agency Services team at Museums of History NSW will hold a live webinar to demonstrate the access directions tool.
The webinar will be held 2:00pm to 2.45pm on Tuesday 16 May 2023. Public office staff involved in renewing and registering access directions are encouraged to take part.
Registration for the webinar is available at this link :
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4639548073678192477
The webinar will also provide a preview of an additional tool to help agencies meet the new requirement for submitting Transfer Plans during 2024.
Engagement with public offices
The Agency Services team is contacting public offices to provide briefings on the changes to the State Records Act and what agencies will need to do this year to get ready – including use of the access directions tool.
Meetings are being held in cluster groupings and with individual public offices. The Agency Services team will be in touch with all public offices in coming months but please feel free to contact Museums of History NSW to arrange a meeting or seek assistance – transfer@mhnsw.au
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