❓ Hon Giz Watson questions the Environment Minister about the destruction of a 1988 internal memo and the policies governing document disposal within the Department. The Minister refers to the State Records Act 2000 and the Library Board Act 1951.
AnsweredQoN 3537Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to questions on notice numbers 3360 and 3359 of 21 March 2006 -
(1) Can the Minister specifically state why the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes was ‘destroyed’?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister specifically state how the Department of Environment determined the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes along with any other documents as being ‘no longer relevant to the Department’s operations’?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state on what specific date the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes along with any other documents was ‘destroyed’?
(6) If no to (5), how does the Minister know that all these documents were ‘destroyed’?
(7) Can the Minister state the name of the officer who destroyed all these documents?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister identify what policy or practice that exists that allows for the destruction of Departmental documents?
(1) Can the Minister specifically state why the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes was ‘destroyed’?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Can the Minister specifically state how the Department of Environment determined the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes along with any other documents as being ‘no longer relevant to the Department’s operations’?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) Can the Minister state on what specific date the internal/memo/minute folio No. 39/88 file No. 6 of 18 March 1988, signed by D.B Sykes along with any other documents was ‘destroyed’?
(6) If no to (5), how does the Minister know that all these documents were ‘destroyed’?
(7) Can the Minister state the name of the officer who destroyed all these documents?
(8) If no to (7), why not?
(9) Can the Minister identify what policy or practice that exists that allows for the destruction of Departmental documents?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 June 2006
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training representing the Minister for the Environment
Response time
28 days
(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (9) Departmental records are retained, archived or destroyed in accordance with the State Records Act 2000. Prior to that Act, the procedure for retention, archival and destruction was controlled under the Library Board Act 1951. In response to Question 3360, the Hon Member was advised that the internal memo of 1988 cited has long been superseded. It is not relevant to the Department's operations in 2006.
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