❓ A parliamentary question highlights the lack of a routine conservation program at the State Records Office due to budget constraints, potentially endangering a significant amount of archival material. The Minister indicates no immediate plans to increase funding and denies direct contact from the State Records Commission regarding the issue.
AnsweredQoN 4330Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I
refer to page 16 of the State Records Commission 2017-18 Annual Report, which
states the State Records Office is unable to conduct a routine conservation
program to support the ongoing work of fragile items, and ask: (a) will
the Minister find funds to renew the conservation program; (b) how
much funding is required to reinstate the program; (c) has
the State Records Commission (SRC) contacted the Minister, Ministerial staff or any
others in the department to express concerns over the lack of conservation work: (i) if
yes, to whom and when; (ii) will
the Minister table the correspondence sent by the SRC over the shortfall in
conservation resources; and (iii) what
was the response of the Minister, Ministerial staff and others in the
department who addressed the SRC concerns; and (d) in linear kilometres how much information is at risk of permanent loss because of
the lack of a conservation program?
refer to page 16 of the State Records Commission 2017-18 Annual Report, which
states the State Records Office is unable to conduct a routine conservation
program to support the ongoing work of fragile items, and ask: (a) will
the Minister find funds to renew the conservation program; (b) how
much funding is required to reinstate the program; (c) has
the State Records Commission (SRC) contacted the Minister, Ministerial staff or any
others in the department to express concerns over the lack of conservation work: (i) if
yes, to whom and when; (ii) will
the Minister table the correspondence sent by the SRC over the shortfall in
conservation resources; and (iii) what
was the response of the Minister, Ministerial staff and others in the
department who addressed the SRC concerns; and (d) in linear kilometres how much information is at risk of permanent loss because of
the lack of a conservation program?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 February 2019
Responded by
Minister for Culture and the Arts
Response time
12 days
(a) The State Records Office (SRO) operates within its budget allocation and a routine conservation program is not possible within the current allocation.
(b) Variable, depending on the scale and risk assessment of the program. In 2011-12 when a conservation program was last run, annual costs for SRO’s preservation services were $185 886.
(c) No
(i-iii) Not applicable
(d) 2.0715 linear kilometres of State Archives held in the State Archives Collection. Linear Kilometres of State Archives held in agencies awaiting transfer to the SRO is unknown.
(b) Variable, depending on the scale and risk assessment of the program. In 2011-12 when a conservation program was last run, annual costs for SRO’s preservation services were $185 886.
(c) No
(i-iii) Not applicable
(d) 2.0715 linear kilometres of State Archives held in the State Archives Collection. Linear Kilometres of State Archives held in agencies awaiting transfer to the SRO is unknown.
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