This led to the review by the Australian Law Reform Commission and a final report in 1998. Ted indicated that his current role was to pick up on the recommendations of the ALRC report and prepare a short statement for consideration by a number of Commonwealth departments, including Prime Minister and Cabinet. Ted thinks a new Act is needed to replace the existing one. The new Act would emphasise the National Archives' role as the Commonwealth's recordkeeping authority and standard setter. New legislation passed in recent years by the governments of South Australia and New South Wales provide useful models.
Similar legislation is before parliaments in Queensland and Western Australia.
The following note was sent to all Branch secretaries and SIG Convenors, by Barbara van Bronswijk, who holds the Competency Standards portfolio on the ASA Council. As you would be aware, the review of the National Records Management and Archives Competency Standards began earlier in the year with the circulation of a survey which called for comment on the existing Standards. The responses have formed the basis for review and enhancement of the standards which will form part of the Business Services Training Package due for submission to the Australian National Training Authority in 2000. In the near future the review committee will be releasing a circulation draft of the revised standards and training package for further comment. The Council of the ASA requests Branches and SIGS to draw to the attention of members the importance of this review and the likely flow-on effects to the archive and records management sectors, not least of which will be that the recordkeeping training package will be a primary source for course design by TAFEs and private training providers.