In June 2023, State Records NSW undertook public consultation on the suitability of Building the Archives , a policy on records appraisal and the identification of State archives originally published in 2001.

A total of 185 submissions were received on the policy during the consultation period, representing a diverse range of perspectives.

Overall feedback was generally positive towards the current appraisal objectives in the policy, which guide the identification of State archives.

Common comments that came through included:

  • The language and examples used were not inclusive of all types of public offices, e.g. local government, universities, etc.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be explicitly acknowledged, either through a specific objective or explicitly mentioned within existing objectives.
  • Objectives 1 and 2 are not distinct from each other.
  • The language in the policy should be simplified to make it more accessible.
  • The policy should be shaped to better reflect the relationship between records and people
  • The language used in the policy is subjective and open to interpretation, e.g. “significant”

A full report on the initial consultation is available here.

We are now seeking your feedback on a consultation draft of the policy.

We welcome comments on all aspects of the policy, and are particularly interested in comments around the narrowing of the scope of the policy to be singularly about the identification of State archives. If carried through, State Records NSW would develop a separate policy on appraisal and disposal in the future.

Please send any feedback through to governance@staterecords.nsw.gov.au by 31 October 2023.

    Consultation period
    10/04/2023 to 10/31/2023