Victorian Archives Conference Room

99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne, ph 9348 5600

Carparking available via 112 Macaulay Road

The meeting started with the sad news of the recent deaths of Dr John Paterson and Mr Ian Mclean. Copies of the eulogies read by Alistair Bourrilhon and Michael Tinsley are included at the end of the minutes.

Members of the network were informed of Ross Gibbs leaving PROV to take up his new appointment in mid April as Director General National Archives of Australia. David Brown, was introduced as the new Records Management Network Chair.

Ross expressed his thanks to the members of the Network, and to all of those involved in its continued success. He also spoke about the opportunities and mutual cooperation that existed between PROV and NAA, which might act as a model for effective and efficient service throughout Australia. Looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead in Canberra, Ross handed the meeting over to David Brown.

Electronic Records as Evidence: This advice covers the issues of managing electronic records and the interaction between the electronic records and evidence, the general principles of evidence law, a check list of possible problems, and how to make electronic records good evidence.

Preserving Records in Databases: Covers the general principles for data preservation and also including, differences between data and records, technical terminology for Records Managers, determining the ‘key questions’ to ask in determining ‘what is the record’ and ‘what are you trying to preserve’.

Amanda Robertson introduced the three new PROV guides available on Information Privacy and Public Records and Health Records and Public Records and Investigations Records.

The Information Privacy Guide gives an overview of the relationships between different legislation and issues over determining which Acts take precedence (especially in regard to information privacy principles and de-identification of records). It also covers the destruction of records and use of contractors, the impact of minimum retention periods, exemptions and records stored off-site at an APROSS.

Health Records and Public Records guide looks at the relationships between the Health Act and Public Record Act, precedence, exemptions, special requirements and provisions for health services providers, and the effects on electronic information, retention of data, and provisions for access to and correction of information.

Paul spoke broadly about the compatibility of the Public Record Act (PR Act) and archival thought in relation to the implications of the Information Privacy Act (IP). The aim for developing mutually respectful relationships and the potential difficulties for records managers (ie retention v’s impact)

Records management and privacy is closely related, the creators of records usually have a good understanding of their own records and of the need to protect information privacy of individuals. He also argued that there needed to be a distinction between privacy (for protection of natural persons) and secrecy (such as non-personal information for private and government organisations).

A key theme for the presentation was the balance between the respect for the privacy of individuals the prevailing purpose of the IP Act versus societies expectation for long term preservation of historically important (PR Act). An example of this was the use and access to personal information (such as rate and war records) for creation of memorials and honour rolls. In respecting the dignity and privacy of individuals, it would be moral to seek consent from the individuals concerned. Another hypothetical example to highlight overcautiousness to information privacy, was to consider a council refusing to give property access and land usage information to emergency services citing it breaches the individuals privacy. What should be considered as a balance is whether it is reasonable to expect or are there are legitimate reasons for the emergency services to have this information (Information privacy principle 2)

Questions from members included a discussion on the tendency to blame information privacy laws as an excuse not to release information (eg early access to council property data). Paul concluded that Information privacy laws are also being blamed for things that are not its fault and that people should consider what you could "reasonably expect’ or ‘reasonable believe’ as a guide to overcautiousness v’s practicality.

Susan provided an overview of the Health Records Act, and how what is considered ‘health information’ differs depending on what an organisation does. She also gave a definition of the concept of what personal information really means, protection of information within the Act, and a caution for people who may be discussing personal information where they may be overheard by others (ie reception).

Susan emphasised the fact that the Health Privacy Principles do not override other legislation, but fill the gaps where there are no other applicable acts. This means that organisations need to be aware of their own legislative requirements, and their obligations to other legislation affecting it (eg Public Records Act, WorkCover, TAC).

Organisations should only collect information which is necessary for their function or activities, rather than anticipating future ‘just in case’ collection. A collection statement may assist individuals making decisions about consent to the collection (either expressly or by implication), understanding the purpose and use and disclosure of the information, relevant laws and consequences, and their rights to access and change.

Susan discussed the practicalities of record keeping in regard to the Health Privacy Principles, such as Use and Disclosure, Data Quality, Security and Retention, Openness, Access and Correction, unique Identifiers, Exemptions, and Complaints.

Susan’s presentation is available on the PROV website

David provided a brief overview of the training program for January to June 2003. A detailed syllabus booklet was handed out to all members which outlined the extensive training programs which offers something for everyone, including records managers, IT staff, managers, vendors, consultants, and new starters.

In cooperation with Swinburne University of Technology certificate levels III and IV in Records Management qualifications are also available.

Members were encouraged to contact David for more details or to register interest. He can be contacted on 9348 5621.

Members were invited to stay for the first graduation ceremony of the seven participants in the Community Jobs Project. In partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, PROV undertook a program to provide practical experience and tertiary qualification of Certificate III in Records Management.

Judy Maddigan M.P. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly presented the graduates with their certificates of achievement. Graduates included: Rosalind Carr, Gertrude Cotterill, Dale Kent, Saibel Minero, David Rafferty, Jenny Rout and Katrina Sgro.

Meeting closed 11:30

Next Meeting 16 April 2003

Dr John Paterson 60, built a reputation for ruthlessness and cost cutting over a dozen years as a top bureaucrat under two Victorian governments, Labor and Liberal. He was both admired and feared, described as brilliant, direct, provocative, determined and as a strong leader. He was certainly courageous overcoming a serious disability.

Dr Paterson was born in Melbourne in 1942 and educated at Balwyn High School and Scotch College, before undertaking a commerce degree at Melbourne University, where he became president of the Students Representative Council. He later gained a PhD at the National University School of social sciences.

Throughout the 1970’s he worked as an urban economist in the private sector but in 1982 became president and chief executive of the Hunter District Water Board in NSW. In 1984 Dr Paterson was recruited to Victoria’s Cain government as Director General of the Department of Water Resources. Five years later he was appointed Director General of Community Service Victoria after a series of departmental disasters. Dr Paterson would later say people had warned him tht he was taking on a "snake pit" and the "Beirut of bureaucracy" but within two years he had cut the departmental budget by 10%.

He was president of the Public Records Advisory Council for five years, throughout his career he was a staunch supporter of records management. He was piloting the VERS Project when no other government department was willing to trial the project. Affectionately known as the Patron saint of records management, Dr Paterson is survived by his wife Mary and children.

Although Ian Maclean is famed as a pioneer of Australia’s national archives, he also made important contributions to the development of archives in Victoria. In 1955, he and Professor Geoffrey Blainey were responsible for persuading Harry Nunn to seek appointment as Senior Archivist on the creation of the Archives Section of the State Library of Victoria. Nunn was to play the central role in the development of the Victorian archival regime for a generation. Maclean had hoped that the achievement of archival legislation in Victoria would set a precedent for archival legislation at Commonwealth level. In the event, Victorian archival legislation was achieved in 1973, ten years before the Commonwealth legislated in 1983, however by then Ian Maclean had moved on.

Maclean remained friendly with Harry Nunn, and on 8 October 1974 was appointed Deputy Keeper of Public Records, Victoria. During 1975, Maclean was responsible for the initial paper proposing the introduction of Series Control, based on the Commonwealth model, to Victoria. Though implemented and further modified by others, the identification of this requirement was a critical step in the arrangement and description of Victorian public records, which until then had lacked an adequate control system.

Maclean and Nunn also pioneered double-decker electric compactus shelving at the PRO’s Laverton repository in 1975, one of the first such installations in Australia.

On 19 March 1976, Maclean left the PROV to take up his new position as Principal Archivist of the then Archives Authority of New South Wales.