2015/2016 Annual Report 2015-16 ISSN 0545-3593 State Records Authority of New South Wales PO Box 516 Kingswood NSW 2747 Published 2016 Images from digitisation in 2015-16 Cover: Town Hall luncheon for returned soldiers, Anzac Day 1916. From NRS 4481, ST5793 Total external costs for publication (printing only) $500.00 including GST Printed on 100% recycled paper Available in PDF format at www.records.nsw.gov.au © State of New South Wales through the State Records Authority of New South Wales, 2016. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this work for any purpose provided that you attribute the State Records Authority as the owner. However, you must obtain permission if you wish to (1) charge others for access to the work (other than at cost), (2) include the work in advertising or a product for sale or (3) modify the work. Images throughout this report are of items in the State archives digitised during 2015-16. Images with a Digital ID number are available to order online and through Photo Investigator. As at 30 June 2016 the State Records Authority of New South Wales is a related entity of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (DFSI). Where a reference is made to a current policy or related document released under the previous title of the Department of Finance and Services (DFS) and the Office of Finance and Services (OFS) that name is still used in the text. The Hon Dominic Perrottet MP Minister for Finance, Services and Property GPO Box 5341 SYDNEY NSW 2001 31 October 2016 Dear Minister, On behalf of the State Records Authority of New South Wales I take pleasure in forwarding the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Authority for the year ended 30 June 2016. The report has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984, the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983 and regulations under those Acts. Yours sincerely, Geoff Hinchcliffe Director State Records Authority of New South Wales A related entity of the Department of Finance, Services & Innovation FIGURE 1: Mr Hughes’ meeting, Sydney Town Hall. Dated: January 1917. Digital ID: NRS4481_ST5972P. Series: NRS 4481 Government Printing Office glass plate negatives. This was digitised as part of State Records NSW Centenary of ANZAC commemorations. 04 STATE RECORDS AUTHORITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES CONTENTS PAGE Director’s Report ...............................................................................06 Message from the Chairperson ........................................................10 Overview .......................................................................................... 11 Our Vision ................................................................................................12 Our Stakeholders ....................................................................................12 Who We Are ............................................................................................12 What We Do ............................................................................................12 Our History ..............................................................................................13 How We Do This .....................................................................................13 Important Facts .......................................................................................14 Legislation ...............................................................................................14 State of Public Sector Recordkeeping ....................................................15 Key Achievements ..................................................................................17 Performance ..................................................................................... 19 Performance Summary ...........................................................................20 Services for the Public ............................................................................22 Whole-of-Government Services ..............................................................44 Commercial Services ..............................................................................57 State Archives Collection ........................................................................60 Information Management .......................................................................71 Corporate Overview ........................................................................73 State Records Board ...............................................................................74 Client and Stakeholder Relationships .....................................................77 Organisation Structure ............................................................................80 Internal Committees ...............................................................................83 Representation on External Committees ................................................84 Governance and Accountability ..................................................... 87 Strategic Planning and Reporting ...........................................................88 Managing Risks.......................................................................................89 Internal Audit and Risk Management Attestation Statement .................91 Managing our People ..............................................................................93 Public Interest Disclosures (PID) Act 1994 .............................................98 Government Information (Public Access) Act (GIPA) 2009 .....................99 Digital Information Security Annual Attestation Statement ................. 102 Managing our Physical Assets .............................................................. 103 Managing our Finances......................................................................... 105 Financial Report 2015-2016 ............................................................109 Independent Auditor’s Report .............................................................. 106 Financial Statements .............................................................................111 Accessing our Services ...................................................................141 ANNUAL REPORT 2015/2016 05 DIRECTOR’S REPORT DIRECTOR’S REPORT I am pleased to report sector and local government respectively. that the State Records Mr John Hubby was appointed shortly after Authority of New South as a department representative. During this Wales (State Records) has time the Board farewelled Mr Anthony Lean had another outstanding and Mr Scott Nash who made valuable year with many fine contributions during their time on the Board. achievements recorded. • The investigation of long term funding This is only possible due to the dedication and hard issues affecting the State archives statutory work of the State Records functions resulted in the development team, an enthusiastic Board and the support and submission of a new funding model of State Records’ parent department, the to Treasury to support the State archives. Department of Finance, Services and Innovation It is pleasing to report that as a result of this (DFSI). work, $1.5 million in additional funding has been secured for 2016-17 allowing partial On 1 July 2015 the former Office of Finance resolution of the issue. More work is planned and Services was replaced with DFSI and this to be done in the next financial year to further signalled a new energy and focus as the new address the Authority’s statutory functions Department quickly realigned to better service funding shortfall. the public. • In July 2015, the sale of 8 hectares of surplus Internally within DFSI, State Records moved land adjacent to the Kingswood site was from the Better Regulation Division to the finalised providing the Authority with a much Government and Corporate Services division needed $9.5 million in capital to fund State led by Deputy Secretary John Hubby. archive related capital projects. Many significant achievements and activities • State Records commercial records were undertaken throughout the year with the management business, the Government following worthy of highlighting: Records Repository (GRR), had a very • Obtaining the Ministers support to establish successful year in 2015-16 resulting in an a 1 year project to commence the Emergency increase in revenue returning 22% as a Digitisation of At-Risk Archives (EmDARA). surplus which will support archival activities This project resulted in the timely conversion in the next financial year. of highly at-risk archival material to a digital form before permanent damage occurred. • The transfer of records of continuing value by The $3.52 million invested in this project public offices to the State archives, increased enabled the digitisation of at-risk collection the value of the State archives collection items guaranteeing long term access in a by $17.5 million. The new value of the State digital form for future generations. archives collection at year end has been confirmed to be c.$922 million. • Significant change occurred on the State Records Board with the appointment of • The completion of the second year of 3 new Board members and the reappointment operations for the Digital Archives team of the Hon. Justice Robert Macfarlan delivered many successes, not least of which, and the Chair of the Board, Ms Anne was the ability of the Digital State Archive Henderson AM. Mr Rodney Wallis and platform to accept large quantities of digital Ms