Please help! National Archives of Australia in dire straits

Please help the National Archives of Australia (NAA). Their future is in jeopardy. The NAA Advisory Council have put an open letter to the public on the NAA Facebook page saying they are in dire straits. NAA appeal to their clients and stakeholders to help them. In a very serious situation the NAA are no longer  fully functioning  or able to fully meet their legal mandate as laid out in the Archives Act.  They have therefore been placed into a 'Functional and Efficiency Review'. This is being carried out by David Tune, who recently finished the review of aged care in Australia. The Tune Review asks for public response to some key questions: Is the NAA is still needed, what are the issues , how do you think they should be fixed, what sort of NAA do you think should exist in the future? Further details about how to give your viewpoint and to read other responses (all of which are made public) are on the NAA website.  The review has largely gone unnoticed, and therefore only a few responses received so far.  The deadline for responses is now extended to Sunday 30 June, so there is very little time to write one.  Just endorse the basics, or the big picture view if you are rushed. My viewpoint is - yes we need a national archive to collect and preserve the official history of our nation, and it is the right of every citizen to be able to access this archive and government records. Preferably online and for free. Government - do what it takes to achieve this. 

The NAA holds records from every government department that cover our social, economic, political and scientific history including:

• The ABC Archives back to 1934
• War and service records of all Australians
• Weather and climate records of Australia
• Prime Ministerial and Cabinet Records.

Transcript of Letter:

A message from the Chair of the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council, Dr Denver Beanland:

TO VALUED STAKEHOLDERS AND USERS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

The Advisory Council for the National Archives of Australia performs a critical independent role within the broad overall governance of the National Archives. Its principal functions are to provide advice to the Minister and to the Director-General on matters that relate to the functions, operations, strategic priorities and policy framework of the National Archives, to ensure it delivers on its legislated mandate and enduring, fundamental and unique role for government and the Australian people.

The National Archives of Australia ensures that Australians have access to the authentic evidence of the decisions and actions of government – preserved in the collection which represents the memory of our
nation. The records of the Commonwealth, collected since Federation, are the primary source references upon which successive generations of Australians can make fresh observations of past events and interpret for themselves the story of Australia, its identity, its values and its people. It also holds many important records documenting the individual and collective histories of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and their contributions to the identity and history of this nation.

The National Archives is the largest archival institution in Australia. It is the only integrity and cultural institution with public research centres and facilities in every state and territory capital city. The Advisory Council recognises that the National Archives is a respected leader of its field. Through its liaison and
collaboration with the national, regional and international archival community, it makes a substantial contribution to the continued evolution of the role and capability of archives everywhere, enhancing digital information management and preservation capability in agencies in the digital age.

Over recent years, the Advisory Council has become increasingly concerned by the serious deterioration in the funding position of the National Archives, leaving it facing the prospect of being unable to meet its legislated requirements. Savings measures such as successive efficiency dividends imposed upon the National Archives have substantially diminished its capacity to perform its functions and to deliver services to the Australian Government and to the Australian public in the digital age. It has also placed some parts of the archival collection at risk; most notably the unique, audio-visual records held on magnetic tape which require immediate digitisation to avoid loss through obsolescence.

The perilous budget position has also seriously set back the essential digital transformation of the National Archives, resulting in inadequate digital capability and cyber vulnerabilities. It is leaving the already digitised and contemporary born-digital records of the decisions and activities of government, both those held by the National Archives and those held by government entities, exposed to compromise, obsolescence or loss.

The Advisory Council has made representations to government on these matters. In response, the Attorney-General, resolved that there are a range of issues relating to the functions, powers and resourcing of the National Archives which would benefit from examination – initiating the Tune Review, a Functional and Efficiency Review of the National Archives.

A public submission will be made by the Advisory Council to the Review. It encourages the valued stakeholders and users of the National Archives to contribute to this important review about its future role in the digital age, and the benefits and services that the National Archives provides to you and your members at review@naa.gov.au by Monday 30 June 2019.

Dr Denver Beanland
Advisory Council Chair
14 June 2019