Commonwealth Numbered Acts

Archives Act 1983 No. 79 of 1983 - SECT 6

6. (1) The Archives may do all things that are necessary or convenient to be
done for or in connection with the performance of its functions and, in
particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may-

   (a)  establish and control repositories or other facilities to house or
        exhibit material of the Archives and, in association with a State, the
        Northern Territory or other person, control repositories or other
        facilities in which material of the Archives is housed or exhibited;

   (b)  undertake the survey, appraisal, accessioning, arrangement,
        description and indexing of Commonwealth records;

   (c)  make arrangements for the acquisition by the Commonwealth of, or of
        copyright in relation to, or arrangements relating to the custody of,
        material that forms part of the archival resources of the
        Commonwealth;

   (d)  chronicle and record matters relating to the structure and functioning
        of Commonwealth institutions or other matters of archival significance
        and make records for the purpose of adding to the archival resources
        of the Commonwealth;

   (e)  make copies, by microfilming or otherwise, of archival material, but
        not so as to infringe copyright (other than copyright owned by the
        Commonwealth) subsisting in the material;

   (f)  arrange for the publication of material forming part of the archival
        resources of the Commonwealth or works based on such material, but not
        so as to infringe copyright (other than copyright owned by the
        Commonwealth) subsisting in the material or works;

   (g)  publish indexes of, and other guides to, archival material;

   (h)  authorize the disposal or destruction of Commonwealth records;

   (j)  on request, assist Commonwealth institutions in the training of
        persons responsible for the keeping of current Commonwealth records;

   (k)  train, or assist in the training of, persons, other than persons
        responsible for the keeping of current Commonwealth records, for work
        in connection with records and other archival material;

   (l)  obtain and maintain equipment for use in retrieving, or otherwise
        obtaining, information from records; and

   (m)  provide information and facilities for persons using the
        material of the Archives.

(2) Where, in the performance of its functions, the Archives enters into
arrangements to accept the custody of records from a person other than a
Commonwealth institution, those arrangements may provide for the extent (if
any) to which the Archives or other persons are to have access to those
records and any such arrangements have effect notwithstanding anything
contained in Division 3 of Part V.

(3) Where an arrangement entered into by the Archives to accept the custody of
records from a person other than a Commonwealth institution relates to a
Commonwealth record, then, to the extent that that arrangement, in so far as
it relates to such a record, is inconsistent with a provision of Part V, that
provision shall prevail.