When a record is requested by a member of the public, National Archives staff examine the record for any sensitivities and make a decision on its release.

Examiners use guidelines on interpreting and applying the Archives Act 1983 and take into account:

• which agency created the record
• the circumstances under which the information was created or obtained
• the age of the information.

Under section 35 of the Act, the National Archives has formal arrangements with Australian Government agencies responsible for national security, defence and international relations. These agencies advise the National Archives on any information in records that remains sensitive.

How many records does the National Archives release?

Under the Act we are required to release as much information as possible.

Close to 98% of records in the open access period are released without any exemptions. Records enter the open access period 20 years after they are created.

1.5% of records are released with some material exempted. Only 0.5% of records are fully exempted and not released to the public.

If we withhold any information from a record, we will give the applicant our reasons in writing.

During 2022–23, the National Archives released 226,189 records, including 22,591 requested by the public.

How long does it take to examine records for release?

Examining a record usually takes around 10 days for non-complex records. However, complex records can take longer.

If we have not given you a decision on a record within 90 business days, we are deemed to have refused you access. You can appeal this decision.

We understand that delays in examining records may mean that you no longer need access to the records you have requested. In this case, you can cancel your applications via the 'My account' option in RecordSearch or notify us at ref@naa.gov.au.

Progress on access applications

National Archives receives tens of thousands of applications for access every year.

At 30 June 2023, the National Archives had 26,842 current applications still to be processed.

Further statistics on the progress of access applications can be found in the National Archives annual report.

How is the National Archives reducing application processing time?

We are streamlining our processes to improve efficiency and increase the number of records we can examine and release.

Legislative changes to the Act came into effect in 2019. These changes let us better manage high-volume access applications by allowing staff to service more low-volume applications and proactively examine more records for public release.