Access to records

Agencies will have access to records they have created or control and have been migrated to the Digital Archives when required. Records migrated to the Digital Archives will be open to public access based on the access direction that was determined by the agency in consultation with State Records during planning activities. Access directions determine when records will become open to public access.

If records migrated to the Digital Archives are closed to public access agencies must continue to make determinations on access requests made under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

Public access to State records that are in excess of 30 years old is covered in Part 6 of the State Records Act 1998. Records stored in the Digital Archives that are open to public access will be searchable via search facilities located on the State Records NSW website.

Management of records

Once records are migrated to the Digital Archives, State Records is responsible for repository management, preservation planning and access (to agencies and/or the public depending on the access direction[s] in place). This is in accordance with State Records NSW’s role as the NSW Government’s archives and records management authority.

Migration is an integral part of this ongoing management and is factored into repository management and preservation planning. State Records NSW will use the migration methodology to manage migrations required for digital continuity purposes as part of the operations of the Digital Archives.