| Authority no | GDA13 |
|---|---|
| SR file no | 02/0704 19/0044 |
| Scope | This general retention and disposal authority covers records created and maintained during the term of office of all ministers and in relation to ministerial office and portfolio responsibilities. |
| Public office | Offices of ministers of the NSW Government, including the Premier, in respect of their responsibilities for the administration of government and which come within the meaning of public office as defined in the State Records Act 1998. |
| Approval date | 23/12/2002 |
| Revised | 16/07/2021 |
Authority no GDA13 |
SR file no 02/0704 19/0044 |
Scope This general retention and disposal authority covers records created and maintained during the term of office of all ministers and in relation to ministerial office and portfolio responsibilities. |
Public office Offices of ministers of the NSW Government, including the Premier, in respect of their responsibilities for the administration of government and which come within the meaning of public office as defined in the State Records Act 1998. |
Approval date 23/12/2002 |
Revised 16/07/2021 |
The purpose of this retention and disposal authority is to identify the records created and received by ministers and their offices in the course of carrying out their portfolio responsibilities that are required as State archives and to provide approval for the destruction of certain other records created and maintained once they are no longer required for administrative, reference or other official purposes.
The disposal actions in this Authority should enable ministerial and/or departmental staff to better manage records created in a minister's office on an ongoing basis or when a minister leaves office.
The approval for disposal given by this authority is given under the provisions of the State Records Act 1998 only and does not override any other obligations of an organisation to retain records.
| No. | Description of records | Disposal action |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Records of Ministerial engagement with the community in their capacity as a Minister. Includes:
| Required as State archives |
| 1.2 | Routine administrative records. Includes:
e.g. books, journals, published resources in hard copy or electronic format | Retain until administrative or reference use ceases, then destroy |
No. 1.1 Description of records Records of Ministerial engagement with the community in their capacity as a Minister. Includes:
Disposal action Required as State archives |
No. 1.2 Description of records Routine administrative records. Includes:
e.g. books, journals, published resources in hard copy or electronic format Disposal action Retain until administrative or reference use ceases, then destroy |
| No. | Description of records | Disposal action |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Records relating to advice received or provided to the Minister, actions taken or decisions made by the Minister in their capacity as a Minister, on matters relating to the Minister’s portfolio. Includes:
| Required as State archives |
| 2.2 | Routine contact, liaison and correspondence between the Minister/Minister’s office and other government agencies such as agency newsletters, administrative arrangements for meetings, etc. | Retain until administrative or reference use ceases, then destroy |
No. 2.1 Description of records Records relating to advice received or provided to the Minister, actions taken or decisions made by the Minister in their capacity as a Minister, on matters relating to the Minister’s portfolio. Includes:
Disposal action Required as State archives |
No. 2.2 Description of records Routine contact, liaison and correspondence between the Minister/Minister’s office and other government agencies such as agency newsletters, administrative arrangements for meetings, etc. Disposal action Retain until administrative or reference use ceases, then destroy |
See the General retention and Disposal Authority: Administrative records (GA28) for records documenting:
The State Records Regulation 2024 permits the disposal of certain records under the Normal Administrative Practice (NAP):
Facilitative: records of little value and of a routine instructional nature that are used to further some activity. Most records that are facilitative have no continuing value to the public office and, generally, are only needed for a few hours or a few days.
Ephemeral: records of little value that only need to be kept for a limited or short period of time. Records that are ephemeral have no continuing value to the public office and, generally, are only needed for a few hours or a few days.
Examples include:
However, where records have continuing value (i.e. administrative, business, fiscal, legal, evidential or historic) NAP does not apply. Records that contain significant information, decisions or advice that is not present in the final record cannot be disposed of under NAP.
Please see Schedule 2, State Records Regulation 2024 for a full list of examples.
The following types of records created or received in a Minister’s Office which are not affected by this Authority.
Official Cabinet documents means all records managed by, stored in and retrieved from the Cabinet Branch electronic records management system and includes:
Other documents which relate to Cabinet but are not considered to be official Cabinet documents should be retained in accordance with the relevant part of this retention and disposal authority.
It is expected that all registered agency records will be returned to the originating department or agency when no longer required, or treated in accordance with the agency’s directions.
Records made or received and kept by departmental liaison officers (DLOs) stationed in Ministerial offices are considered to be agency records and should be returned to the relevant agency or captured into the agency’s records systems.
These are not State records and includes:
Records relating to the Minister's constituency business and role as an elected member of Parliament are covered under the Functional retention and disposal authority: Parliament of NSW, including the Houses of Parliament and parliamentary departments (FA325).
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