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Public Records Act 2005

Purpose, other preliminary provisions, and key administrative provisions - Purpose and other preliminary provisions

3: Purposes of Act

You could also call this:

"This law helps keep important records safe and available to the public."

Illustration for Public Records Act 2005

The Public Records Act 2005 has several purposes. You will see it is used to keep the National Archives, also known as Archives New Zealand, running. It also helps the Chief Archivist make sure the government keeps accurate records. You can think of it like a big filing system that helps keep track of important documents. The Act is also used to make sure people can access important records and to help New Zealanders understand their history and culture, including the spirit of partnership and goodwill envisaged by the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), as provided for by section 7. It helps keep private records safe too. The Act makes sure the government is accountable for its actions by keeping accurate records. It provides a framework for public offices and local authorities to create and maintain records. The Act also helps preserve records that are important to New Zealand's history and culture.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM345536.

Topics:
Government and voting > Government departmentsArts and culture > Heritage protectionMāori affairs > Treaty of Waitangi
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2: Commencement, or

"When the Act officially starts"

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4: Interpretation, or

"What special words mean in the Public Records Act 2005"

Part 1Purpose, other preliminary provisions, and key administrative provisions
Purpose and other preliminary provisions

3Purposes of Act

  1. The purposes of this Act are—

  2. to provide for the continuation of the repository of public archives called the National Archives with the name Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga); and
    1. to provide for the role of the Chief Archivist in developing and supporting government recordkeeping, including making independent determinations on the disposal of public records and certain local authority archives; and
      1. to enable the Government to be held accountable by—
        1. ensuring that full and accurate records of the affairs of central and local government are created and maintained; and
          1. providing for the preservation of, and public access to, records of long-term value; and
          2. to enhance public confidence in the integrity of public records and local authority records; and
            1. to provide an appropriate framework within which public offices and local authorities create and maintain public records and local authority records, as the case may be; and
              1. through the systematic creation and preservation of public archives and local authority archives, to enhance the accessibility of records that are relevant to the historical and cultural heritage of New Zealand and to New Zealanders’ sense of their national identity; and
                1. to encourage the spirit of partnership and goodwill envisaged by the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), as provided for by section 7; and
                  1. to support the safekeeping of private records.