Role
The principal business of the CARR Directorate is reviewing security classified Defence and Defence-related Australian Government records that are being considered for public release under the Archives Act 1983. The Directorate advises the National Archives of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, and other agencies, of the national security implications that disclosure of records might have. Specific areas of concern relate to the defence, security and international relations of Australia and confidentiality claims for records containing information provided to the Australian government on an ‘in-confidence’ basis by foreign governments and international organisations.

Defence has an agreement with the National Archives of Australia, in accordance with s35 of the Archives Act, to identify exempt material in Defence or Defence related records.

DCARR is responsible for

Examining

• Open-access-period (that is, 30 year old) security classified Defence records to which the public have requested access under the Archives Act;
• Security classified Defence-related information found in records of other Commonwealth institutions;Defence-related 30 year old Cabinet papers due for public release each January;
• Defence classified records that are 25 or more years old to determine in advance, as part of a pro-active program, those records that may be publicly released when they reach the open-access period.
• Manuscripts written as a result of official or discretionary access to security classified material;
  
  And
• Identifying exempt material and notifying the National Archives of Australia or the Australian War Memorial of the Defence claim for an exemption in accordance with s33(1) (a) or (b) of the Archives Act.
• Preparing statement of reasons for decisions to exempt material from public access.
• Assisting the National Archives of Australia with any response to a request for an internal reconsideration, or an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, in relation to a decision to exempt a Defence or Defence-related record from public access.
• Developing access policy and procedures and providing advice on access issues to Defence and other agencies.
  

Address
Defence Legal - DCARR
Department of Defence
CP1-7-004
CAMPBELL PARK ACT 2600

Fax: 02 6266 3296