General Retention and Disposal Authority for Local Government Information DA 2023-005

Policy
The revised GRDALG, DA 2023-005, applies to records and information of common local government activities / record categories typically performed in the public administration of local governments. The GRDALG applies to records in all formats.
Last updated:

The revised GRDALG supersedes the General Disposal Authority for Local Government Records, DA 2015-001/1.

The GRDALG is arranged alphabetically by activity / record category, with disposal classes assigned respectively. Each activity / category can be applied to any function in the organisation.

Local governments should use the SRO Guideline - Records Retention, Disposal and Destruction in conjunction with the GRDALG to ensure the proper retention and disposal of State records.

Further information regarding amendments to the GRDALG can be found in the Linking Table produced by the SRO.

Note: Local government records relating to cemetery management

The circular issued by the State Records Office in June 2019 advising all local governments with responsibility for cemetery management under the Cemeteries Act 1986 (WA) not to destroy any cemetery management records until further notice has been rescinded. The revised GRDALG can be used to dispose of records relating to the care, control and management of a cemetery or crematorium.

Note: If an organisation has a destruction memo or approval in progress, records do not need to be resentenced if there is no reduction in the retention period as per the records management advice - Resentencing Records.

Use the linking tables to check if the retention period has increased. If a retention period has increased, then the records must be resentenced to avoid the premature destruction of records.

A reference table of retentions that have increased is provided below.