ARCHIVES & RECORDS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND

Publications

ARANZ Submission on Auckland Governance Legislation Committee Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill (7 February 2010)

 

Organisation’s aims

ARANZ is an incorporated society, established in 1976, with the aim of promoting the understanding and importance of records and archives in New Zealand. ARANZ is administered nationally by a Council of elected members.

Our members include: archivists; recordkeepers; librarians; and other information managers; genealogists; historians; teachers; museum and art gallery curators; religious groups; professional associations; historical societies; businesses; local and central government agencies; and many others interested in the preservation and use of archives and records.

The objectives of the Association are:

  • To foster the care, preservation and use of archives and records, both to public and private, and their effective administration.
  • To provide an authoritative voice on matters of concern relating to archives and records.
  • To maintain and increase public awareness of the importance of archives and records in all matters affecting their preservation and use.
  • To cooperate or affiliate with any other bodies in New Zealand or elsewhere with like objectives.
  • To promote professional competence in the administration and preservation of archives and records; by providing advice to the appropriate authorities on levels and standards of professional education and training, and by promoting the training of archivists, records keepers, curators, librarians and others by the dissemination of specialised knowledge.
  • To encourage research on the care, preservation and use of archives and records and to promote the publication of the results of this research.
  • To promote the standing of archives institutions and those working with archives and records.
  • To advise and support the establishment of archives services throughout New Zealand.
  • To publish a journal and other publications in furtherance of these objectives.

Who has been consulted

ARANZ members working in local government in Auckland and ARANZ Council have been consulted over the content of this submission.

Submission

One of the purposes of this Bill is to clarify arrangements relating to council–controlled organisations (CCOs), see 3(2) (b) (v).

Indications from the Auckland Transition Agency are that a number of new CCOs could be established in addition to those outlined in the Bill. This will result in the further transfer of significant functions and activities from existing local authorities to these CCOs, along with a rationalisation of existing CCOs which will lead to the disestablishment of a number of these CCOs.

The Bill needs to provide clearer provisions with regards to the transfer and ownership of information, including records and archives, relating to functions and activities of existing local authorities allocated to any new CCOs, and from all or any disestablished CCOs. This is required to ensure that access to, preservation and protection of, and responsibility for, local authority records and archives can be planned for as part of a smooth transition.

The protection and preservation of local authority records and archives would be further enhanced by the addition of a provision to Part 8 section 75 of the Bill that Auckland Council may impose additional accountability requirements on CCOs to "report annually with regards to their compliance with mandatory recordkeeping standards issued under section 27 of the Public Records Act 2005, and on their protection of local authority records under section 40 of the Act".

 

Committee hearing

We do not wish to appear before the Committee.

 

Submission from:

Archives and Records Association of New Zealand (ARANZ)

PO Box 11-553

Manners Street

Wellington

Contact:

President: Joanna Newman

Phone 04 385 2254 or 027 7577 984

Joanna M.A. Newman

President

 

 

 

MoST Content Management V3.0.4440