Records Disposal

The NZSIS is seeking public comment on a draft records disposal authority which when approved will determine what NZSIS records are permanently retained as archives and what records will be destroyed and when. 

There are three documents for consideration:

• A public guide on commenting on draft NZSIS legacy disposal schedule to assist you understand the appraisal report and schedule. It also has guidance about how to provide comments. We recommend reading the guide before reviewing the schedule and appraisal report;
• Schedule which lists the record groupings/classes and their disposal actions;
• Appraisal report which provides context for the records and justifications for the disposal recommendations made.

The scope of the disposal authority are NZSIS and predecessor records prior to 2017. NZSIS records not included in this draft disposal authority are likely to be covered in previously approved disposal authorities available on the Archives NZ website.

Comments need to be received by 21 June 2023. We will then review all comments, make any changes to the appraisal report and schedule before submitting them to Archives New Zealand. The public will have a further opportunity to comment on the documents when they are published on the Archives New Zealand website.   

Public guide - Why a records disposal schedule is necessary

Background

Having a disposal schedule approved by the Chief Archivist supports legal disposal of records under the Public Records Act 2005(external link) and is good business practice. Disposal most commonly refers to destruction of low value records and retention of high value records as archives.

The Chief Archivist approves disposal of information, data and records under s18 of the Public Records Act by issuing a ‘disposal authority’. The disposal authority is the legal instrument that allows for the implementation of the disposal schedule. Having a disposal schedule is standard practice for all public offices which includes the NZSIS. As the oversight body for NZSIS, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) expects that the NZSIS will have legal and appropriate information disposal practices in place. 

How to understand the disposal schedule

Using a table format, the disposal schedule lists and describes the different groupings of like information, records and data that the NZSIS created and managed as part of carrying out the NZSIS’s normal business activities. The disposal schedule also identifies how long the information, records and data should be retained before it is disposed of.

For each sub-class (type) of records the schedule details:

• A class number, a sub-class title and description of the sub-class
• The trigger point at which the records become non-current and the retention period kicks in
• The minimum retention period for which the records must be kept (records cannot be legally disposed of before the minimum time has expired). After this, records can be retained longer if there is a business justification for doing so
• The final disposal action on the records.

The scope of the disposal schedule are legacy NZSIS records (and records inherited from predecessor agencies) pre-dating to the passing of the Intelligence and Security Act 2017. In this context this disposal schedule should be considered in the context of the broader Intelligence Community Disposal Authority (DA 692) which covers most NZSIS records not included by this draft disposal authority.

Understanding the appraisal report

The role of Archives NZ is to determine the appraisal criteria for what public office information, records and data has archival value and what can be destroyed. Development of a disposal schedule must be completed in such a way that the decisions for what is to be destroyed, or what is to be kept as archives match requirements set by Archives NZ in the Public Sector Archival Selection Statement.

The appraisal report provides context including descriptive information about the different types of records covered by the disposal schedule and the rationale for the retention and destruction recommendations using the principles contained in the Public Sector Archival Selection Statement(external link).

Providing feedback on the disposal schedule

We are asking for public feedback on the disposal schedule to ensure we have considered a wide range of views about what records should be retained as archives and what records should be destroyed.

The draft disposal schedule and supporting appraisal report is available on the NZSIS website for input from interested organisations and individuals. If you wish to comment on the draft schedule please:

1. Look at the draft disposal schedule and accompanying appraisal report or download a copy. Both documents are in PDF format.
2. Complete the feedback form (see below) which provides space for comments related to specific classes of information, records and data.
3. Email the completed form to DisposalAuthoritycomment@nzsis.govt.nz
4. The deadline for receiving feedback is 21 June 2023.
5. Comments received will be considered and any changes will be made before the documents are submitted to the Chief Archivist. A further opportunity to comment will be provided when the disposal schedule and appraisal report is made available via the Archives NZ website for further public comment during the public notification process under the Public Records Act.