EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1988 No. 340
Archives Regulations (Amendment)
(Issued under the authority of the Minister of State for Administrative Services)
Section 56(2) of the Archives Act 1983 (the Act) provides that the Minister or a person authorised by the Minister may, in accordance with arrangements approved by the Prime Minister, cause Commonwealth records to be made available to a person in such circumstances as are specified in the regulations notwithstanding that the Commonwealth records concerned are not otherwise available for public access under this Act.
The Archives Regulations (Amendment) have been drafted to specify the circumstances in which certain categories of persons may be granted special access to Commonwealth records.
As distinct from the provision of special access, section 31 of the Act confers a general right of public access to all Commonwealth records, other than those which are exempt records, when they become thirty years old.