Notify State Records NSW about the loss of State records
This minimum compliance requirement obliges public offices to formally notify State Records NSW if records are damaged, impaired, lost or destroyed without authorisation.
Notify State Records NSW
The loss of any State record is in effect an unauthorised records disposal and a breach of section 21 of the State Records Act 1998.
The minimum compliance requirement 1.9 in the Standard on the physical storage of State records provides a mechanism for public offices to formally advise State Records NSW that physical or hardcopy records have been damaged (i.e. impaired) or destroyed due to flood, fire or disasters, or the records are unable to be located and are deemed lost by the public office.
Public offices should also contact State Records NSW if records are unlawfully accessed, destroyed, deleted or altered and the integrity of the records has been impacted. This may occur in a data breach or cyber event.
Notification should occur for:
- Physical records that are severely damaged, lost or destroyed without authorisation
- Digital records that are destroyed or deleted before minimum retention periods are met, altered or the integrity of the records has been impacted.
Action
- Policy and procedures should identify the senior responsible officer for records management (SRO) as the appropriate officer to formally advise State Records NSW.
- When records are identified as damaged, impaired, lost or destroyed without authorisation, the SRO must contact State Records NSW at govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au as soon as practically possible after the event occurred. Prompt notification enables State Records NSW to work with the public office to rectify damage or loss of records.
- State Records NSW will assess the notification and provide assistance.