Website content becomes out of date over time as circumstances and policies change. This may bring about the need to create websites, amalgamate content, consolidate information with other websites, decommission websites or substantially modify content.

Agencies should consider whether they have a need to preserve and retain website content that becomes outdated. If they do, then the agency must consider how it will provide access to that content, either proactively, or in response to applications under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 or Archives Act 1983. Agencies do not need to retain access to outdated content beyond agency business needs once it has been retained as required under its relevant disposal class, either Administrative Functions Disposal Authority (AFDA) or an agency-specific disposal class.

Why should I?

Agencies should be aware of their obligations under the Archives Act 1983 (the Act). Government websites are Commonwealth records under the Act. When decommissioning, or substantially changing a website, a snapshot of the old and new sites should be taken and lodged with the National Archives of Australia (NAA) in accordance with entry 1935 of the Administrative Functions Disposal Authority. Consult the NAA regarding when you need to transfer a snapshot of the website to the custody of the NAA.

What should I do?

Agencies only need to retain website content, that is the objects that make up the website, based on a determination in the relevant records authority. Entry 21189 of the AFDA provides that website content (other than electronic publications lodged with the National Library of Australia (NLA), should be kept for as long as required under a relevant disposal class in AFDA or in an agency’s specific records authority. For example, comments on a blog that invited evaluation of a publication, would be kept for five years after evaluation completed, in accordance with AFDA entry 1904.

The Archives Act 1983 establishes that the public generally has a right of access to Commonwealth records during the period they are kept archived. The public therefore has a right of access to website content that has been retained, once that material is in the open period.

How do I?

Agencies should consider options for retaining public access to out of date web content, including:

• preserving key electronic resources in the NLA’s PANDORA Web Archive. Please note that while PANDORA is thorough, it is not a way to safeguard continuing access to all outdated content as it was set up to manage a collection of government websites and not every government website. You will need to complete the Notification Form for PANDORA Achive to notify the NLA that you would like your site to be considered for archiving.
• creating a publicly accessible archive for out of date web content, on your website. This archive should be clearly marked that the content is no longer maintained.  For example, Australian Government Information Management Office(AGIMO) Archive.
• publishing information on your website on how to obtain out of date content that is no longer available through the website.

Advice

The online entry point to the Australian Government, australia.gov.au, provides links to content on agency and ministerial websites. Changes to websites and to links will be reflected on australia.gov.au as soon as the australia.gov.au administrators become aware of them.

Web managers are encouraged to inform the australia.gov.au administrators, via an email to australia.gov@finance.gov.au, of new or archived websites and all major changes to existing websites.

Subjects:

• archive
• content