FAQ

HOW DO AGENCIES EXTEND AN EXISTING DISPOSAL SCHEDULE ABOUT TO EXPIRE?

Disposal schedules are valid for a limited time, normally 10 years, to allow for any reassessment of disposal decisions and adjustments to be made if an agency’s functions or record systems change. As a result, requests to extend the expiry date of disposal schedules will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Repeat requests to extend disposal schedules and requests to extend for more than 6 months, will not normally be considered.

There must be:

1. a valid reason(s) to request an extension; and
2. a commitment from your agency to review the expired disposal schedule before the new expiry date.

All requests to extend an existing disposal schedule require the approval of the Chief Archivist. As this process could take between 6-8 weeks or longer, agencies need to ensure that requests are submitted at least 3 months prior to the original expiry date.

To request an extension:

An application to extend a disposal schedule must be submitted to Archives New Zealand in the same way as a new disposal authority, although the level of detail required will be less [see Factsheet F2].

The submission will need to include:

• An appraisal memorandum, documenting the extension requested and providing justification/s directly relating to the extension application.
• A copy of the schedule and any other documentation in support of the proposed date extension.

All such documentation should be in electronic format and where available on Archives New Zealand templates.

Prior to being submitted to the Chief Archivist, Archives New Zealand staff will review the memorandum and accompanying documentation for clarity and to ensure that the justifications are appropriate.

Requests to extend the expiry date of an existing schedule will be subject to the same public comment process as new disposal authorities [see Factsheet F2].

For assistance, please contact the Appraisal Section, Archives New Zealand at appraisal@archives.govt.nz.