With the disposal of government records, some material will usually be transferred to Archives New Zealand’s custody. Agencies should contact Archives New Zealand as early as possible, so that the transfer process can be planned effectively. The Wellington office operates a planned transfer programme, so transfers need to be booked well in advance. There are also specific standards for the listing and packaging of records that agencies need to meet. Finally, it is necessary to determine appropriate access conditions for the records before they are transferred.
Transfer Fact Sheet.
- Recordkeeping advice. Government Recordkeeping Group advisory services offer free advice and guidance on all aspects of recordkeeping including:
- Advice on any aspect of recordkeeping or records management
- Advice on legislative responsibilities
- Advice and assistance with application of Archives standards and guides
- Visits to agencies
- Contact us at rkadvice@archives.govt.nz
- Standards and guides. Archives New Zealand creates various recordkeeping Standards and other tools for use in government agencies.
List template 
(84kb)
Preparing Records for Transfer: A Guide to Listing and Boxing
- Advice on transfer and destruction. Records can be transferred to Archives New Zealand under specific conditions. The Chief Archivist must approve them (in a Disposal Authority), and they must be listed and packaged to a particular standard. Archives will refuse to accept custody of records not listed and packaged to standard. To avoid this, agencies should always contact the Arrangement and Description Section at transfer@archives.govt.nz for advice on transfer conditions.
- Permission to dispose of records. The Chief Archivist must approve the disposal of all government records, including those being transferred to another agency.
Please contact Archives New Zealand if you require forms for disposal, transfer or access.
Fact sheet: Methods of Destruction
- Advice on how to apply access restrictions to particular records. An Access Authority must cover all records transferred to Archives New Zealand. Such authorities should be discussed prior to transfer with the Arrangement and Description Section.
Contact: transfer@archives.govt.nz
Please contact Archives New Zealand if you require forms for disposal, transfer or access.
Advisory Notice ‘Making Access Decisions under the Public Records Act’
Access Authority Form (PDF) 
(139 kb)
Access Standard
