FACT SHEET

METHODS OF DESTRUCTION

This fact sheet looks at how public offices and local authorities should destroy records and their responsibilities when doing this. Under the Public Records Act no-one can destroy a public record or a local authority protected record without the Chief Archivist's authorisation.

> REASONS FOR DESTRUCTION

Timely and appropriately managed destruction can have the following advantages:

It saves time and storage costs;
It enables organisations to focus on higher priority records; and
It prevents unauthorised access and use of government records.

> AUTHORISATION

Before destroying any records you need to make sure you have authorisation from the Chief Archivist and from your own manager responsible for records. You should make sure the records you are going to destroy are covered by a valid disposal authority; if they aren't, contact Archives New Zealand:
appraisal@archives.govt.nz

There are three types of authorisation for destroying
public records:

General Disposal Authorities (GDAs) which are issued by Archives New Zealand for common types of records across public offices;
An ongoing authority (schedule) allowing for the destruction or transfer of records; and

A one-off authority relating to specific records.

For local authorities, the Local Government Schedule specifies what types of records may not be destroyed unless you have prior approval from the Chief Archivist.

You should also check with your internal staff that the records are not needed under any legislation, for a court case, that they are not subject to outstanding Official Information Act (OIA), Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) requests, including periods of appeal to the Ombudsman, and that they are not needed for business reasons.

Records approved for destruction must not be transferred to a third party without separate authorisation from the Chief Archivist.

> DESTRUCTION METHODS

Your destruction process should be:

irreversible;
secure; and
documented.

You should be extra careful when destroying sensitive material to make sure there is no risk of accidental or unauthorised access to the records. For more information on security of information, see the Security in Government Information website at www.security.govt.nz

Archives New Zealand recommends the following destruction methods:

For paper:

Shredding reduces paper to fine ribbons and may be used for most documents, but is not suitable for very sensitive information.
Pulping reduces paper to pulp and is often used in recycling. It is appropriate for highly sensitive records.
Burning, in an enclosed incinerator or in a secure facility, is also suitable for sensitive records.
Dry maceration reduces most materials to fine particles. This is appropriate for highly secure material.

For other media:

Cutting, crushing, shredding or chemical recycling can be used for magnetic and optical media, videos, film and microform.
Reformatting can be used on most electronic media including computer hard-drives, but it is not suitable for secure data. For further information on dealing with secure information on electronic media, see the NZ Government Information Technology Security Manual at www.gcsb.govt.nz.

Burying or dumping are inappropriate destruction methods because paper and other material takes time to compost and may be uncovered at any time.

All destruction methods should be as environmentally friendly as possible.

> DOCUMENTATION

You should keep a record of what has been destroyed, including:

What disposal action was taken;
When disposal was carried out;
Which disposal authority applied;
Which records were destroyed; and
Who took the action and their authorisation.

> CHECKLIST

Before destroying any records check that:

The records are covered by an appropriate disposal authority.
The records are not required under any other legislation nor are they the subject of any outstanding actions under OIA or LGOIMA.
The records are not required for any further legal, administrative or business use.
The records have been approved for destruction by an authorised member of the organisation.
The destruction has been documented.
The means of destruction is appropriate for the type of media and the sensitivity of the record.

If you are unsure about any of the advice in this fact sheet, or require further details, contact your records manager or any other staff member responsible for records.

They can contact Archives New Zealand for advice or assistance at appraisal@archives.govt.nz