For the Record - September 2025
Upcoming Records Managers Online Forum and Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise, new eLearning modules and RMAT Guide and updated guidance and resources.
ISSN 1321-6260 September 2025- No 173
This issue:
- Records Managers Online Forum – Tuesday 14 October 2025
- Personal information
- Upcoming Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise
- New RMAT Guide
- Records retention and disposal authorities
- Updated Introduction to good recordkeeping animation
- Updated and new online training modules
- Presentations on M365 – Purview and SharePoint Architecture
- Review of GA30
Museums of History NSW Agency Services Spotlight
Records Managers Online Forum – Tuesday 14 October 2025
Bookings are now open to attend the next Records Managers Online Forum on Tuesday 14 October 2025 from 10:30am to 12:00pm.
The Forum will include:
- case studies from HealthShare NSW (Lois Villarosa and Carolyn Shaw) and NSW Treasury (Nick Wall) sharing their Information Asset Register journeys; and a
- presentation by Allison Graycon from Museums of History NSW on the process for transferring digital State archives.
To register for the Records Managers Online Forum, click here.
Personal information
Just a reminder of the importance of not retaining personal information, in particular personal identity documents, for any longer than is necessary for business needs. The General retention and disposal authority: administrative records and some functional disposal authorities, permit the disposal of these documents when they are no longer required for verification purposes.
Please contact us at govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au if you have any questions.
Upcoming Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise
Have you started preparing for the 2026 Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise?
The Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise (RME) will run from 2-27 March 2026.
We encourage all public offices to begin their assessments early to allow plenty of time to complete the assessment, coordinate with various business units if required and/or ask for assistance.
The Records Management Assessment Tool (RMAT) is available for download in Word or Excel format and is now accompanied by the new RMAT Guide.
For further information, please check our updated RME FAQs and RMAT webpages, as well as our Records Management Assessment Tool (RMAT) Webinar.
If you have any questions, please contact your Records and Information Management team or email us at govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au.
New RMAT Guide
State Records NSW has developed a new RMAT Guide to accompany the recently revised Records Management Assessment Tool (RMAT).
The RMAT Guide (PDF 1.87MB) provides further guidance on using the RMAT and preparing your organisation’s submission to the biennial Recordkeeping Monitoring Exercise (RME). It includes a detailed explanation of each question and a template for developing an inventory of evidence.
Records retention and disposal authorities
The Board of State Records NSW recently approved a revised general retention and disposal authority for original or source records that have been copied. Thank you to the public offices that provided feedback.
This general authority will replace GA45. The revised authority:
- Permits the destruction of records required as State archives after successful copying provided that the original records were created after 1980 – this now includes audiovisual material
- Permits the destruction of records designated as ‘retain in agency’ after successful copying
- Provides clearer guidance on records that cannot be destroyed as they are subject to legislative or Government policy that the originals be retained
- Permits the destruction of deteriorating acetate and nitrate negatives.
The revised general authority will be available on the website in the coming weeks.
The Board also approved a revised disposal authority for the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Updated Introduction to good recordkeeping animation
Have you watched our short animation on Introduction to Good Recordkeeping?
Developed in 2023, the animation is part of State Records NSW’ training resources for public offices and explains why good recordkeeping is an important element underpinning NSW Government’s work to deliver better programs and services.
The recently refreshed animation is less than 4 mins in duration and perfect for viewing by all employees in your public office. Introduction to Good Recordkeeping is available on the website.
Updated and new online training modules
State Records NSW has developed two new online learning modules on the topic of metadata.
Metadata Essentials is designed for records officers and senior responsible officers and will take 20 minutes to complete. The aim of this module is to introduce the basic concepts and principles of recordkeeping metadata. These concepts provide essential foundations for trustworthy and authentic records.
Advanced Metadata is designed for Senior responsible officers and will take 30 minutes to complete. The aim of this module is to outline the key principles and implementation points for metadata for records. The principles assist organisations to determine what metadata should be created, captured and managed.
State Records NSW has also updated the links in all online learning modules to the new website.
The online learning modules are available from the State Records NSW Learning Portal and more information can be found on our Recordkeeping training resources webpage.
Presentations on M365 – Purview and SharePoint Architecture
State Records NSW recently hosted an information session for public offices on SharePoint architecture. The slides from this presentation and the previous presentation on Purview are available on the Managing records in Microsoft 365 webpage.
Review of GA30
The General retention and disposal authority: records relating to the provision of shared corporate services (GA30) was issued in 2008 and is being reviewed. We are exploring revoking GA30 as most of the records are now covered by CONTRACTING OUT & COMMERCIAL SERVICES in GA28.
Please contact us if you use GA30 and would like to provide feedback at govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au.
Museums of History NSW: Agency Services |
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Annual ReportsDo you know who in your organisation is responsible for developing and depositing annual reports with Museums of History NSW (MHNSW) each year? Under C2023-04 Deposit of New South Wales Government Publications, agencies must send an electronic copy of their annual report each year into the NSW State Archives Collection. Annual reports are required as State archives under the General Retention and Disposal Authority GA28- Administrative records (class GA28-10.11.1). Each year, Governance, Media and other teams from within a Public Office contact the MHNSW Agency Services team requesting Service Portal logins to ‘deposit’ their annual reports. The preference is for such transfers to come from the agency’s responsible Records and Information Management (RIM) team as they should already be familiar with the transfer process and have a current Service Portal login. These enquiries will be referred to the RIM team for assistance whenever possible. For guidance, see the Transfer of Electronic Annual Reports advice page on our website or contact Agency Services: transfer@mhnsw.au |
Save the date: Open Day – Western Sydney Records CentreWestern Sydney Records Centre, Saturday 22 November, 10am–4pm Join us on Dharug Country on 22 November as we celebrate 50 years onsite at the Western Sydney Records Centre, Kingswood. Come and see the collections up close, hear from experts on a range of fascinating topics, take a behind-the-scenes tour and relax with good food and coffee in our unique environment. Check the Museums of History NSW website for further details and announcements and keep an eye out for the full program in our October Collections eNews. We look forward to seeing you on the day! |