184. Hon Alison Xamon to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the State Records Commission Annual Report 2015 – 2016, which states that there are approximately six million documents held in government agencies waiting transfer to the State Records Office, and I ask:
(a) where are these documents currently located;
(b) how many of these documents are held at offsite commercial storage providers;
(c) what is the annual cost of storing the documents held at offsite commercial storage providers;
(d) has the Government developed a strategy to transfer these documents to the State Records Office;
(e) if no to (d), why not;
(f) if yes to (d), would the Minister please provide a copy of this strategy;
(g) who was consulted in t he development of the strategy; and
(h) how much will it cost to transfer these documents to the State Records Office?
Hon Sue Ellery replied:
State Records Office
(a) All Government agencies and local governments are required to store documents awaiting transfer to the State Records Office (SRO) in accordance with Section 32(4) of the State Records Act 2000.
(b) Unknown. This is a matter for the Government agencies and local governments.
(c) See (b).
(d) The Minister for Culture and the Arts has endorsed the development of a State Records Conservation and Archive Strategy; and the development of a Business Case for a solution for the State’s hard copy and digital archival material, as part of the Strategy.
(e) – (g) The Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries is developing the Strategy and will consult all key stakeholders.
(h) Subject to the strategy once it has been finalised and approved.