What to Shred and When, disposing of legal documents in Australia
As a business you are legally required by the Australian Government to keep certain financial, legal and employee records. As well as records relating to policy and procedures, and other business records.
There are strict laws surrounding the collection, use and storage of personal information. The Privacy Act 1988 dictates how Australian Government agencies and organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, and some other organisations, handle personal information in order to protect the privacy of individuals. iShred recommends that you know your responsibilities of disposing of legal documents in Australia .
Before permanently destroying sensitive information you should ensure that your business has complied with the legal minimum time frames for keeping certain documents, and that they are no longer required for ongoing business or accountability purposes.
Strict laws also apply to the destruction of all Commonwealth records (all business information created, sent and received by the Australian Government is considered Commonwealth records). Under the authority of the National Archives Act 1983, the destruction of Commonwealth information needs to be not only irreversible, but secure and confidential. It must also be documented to comply with Part 3–11 of the Archives Regulations 2018.
As a business, it is your responsibility to ensure the disposal of sensitive information is such that the documents cannot be reconstructed or reconstituted. The onus is also on you to ensure the terms of destruction comply with the legal requirements set out under the archives act.
iShred will supply you with a certificate of destruction that guarantees that work has been completed.
For a cost effective, secure destruction of documents contact iShred – the Melbourne Document Shredding Experts. We offer on-site and off site document destruction, along with full monitoring of shredding activity.
We offer On Site Bins at your location, Document Destruction Certificate provided, 100% of all paper shredded is recycled, and we are a member of NAID.
