This page summarises the relevant minimum record retention requirements under legislation and university policy. It is not exhaustive and users should also refer to the relevant general disposal authorities.
University records must only be disposed of or destroyed in accordance with the Records Management Procedure.
For information on retention periods for Student Records, please see the Student Records Register.
Committee records
| Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Governance committees and advisory committees to Council. | State archive (permanent retention) |
Management and operational committees | 5 years |
Internal consultative committees for employee working conditions for WHS and workplace relations. | 10 years |
Organisational unit/work team meetings | Until administrative use ceases |
Ethics/compliance committees | – see Research records |
Employee records
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Staff appointments, employment history, leave summary, workers' compensation claims. | 75 years after date of birth or 7 years after employment ceases, whichever is longer |
Attendance records – leave applications, timesheets, remote work agreements, etc. | 7 years |
Misconduct – allegations and investigations against an employee | 10 years (or 100 years if related to abuse or neglect of children) |
Complaints and grievances – lodged by employees | 7 years |
Recruitment | 2 years |
Financial records
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Financial advice given by or to the university regarding general financial management and accounting practices. | 10 years |
Asset registers | 7 years |
Financial audits | 6 years But see GA 28 7.6.1 for audits relating to misuse of public money or set a precedent. |
Transactions, financial statements, bank accounts, reports. | 7 years |
Fundraising
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Donations and bequests (significant amount or cultural artefact) | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Donations and Bequests | 7 years |
Governance records
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Final, approved versions of by-laws and rules governing the institution | Required as State Archives |
By-laws and rules in development | 15 years |
Strategic Committees | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Operational Committees | 10 years |
Master set of policies relating to core university functions | Required as State Archives |
Information technology
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Development of systems or the acquisition of off-the-shelf systems | 7 years |
Technology and telecommunications equipment or systems | 7 years |
Investigations into the acquisition of technology and telecommunications equipment | Retain until administrative or reference use ceases |
Warranties and guarantees | Retain until warranty or guarantee expires or until item is disposed of whichever is shorter |
Legal records
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Agreements and contracts | Depending on the nature of the contract, generally either 7 years or 12 years after the expiry or termination of the agreement. |
Advice from internal or external legal services providers | 15 years |
Litigation | Precedent setting case - Permanent - Do Not Destroy Non-precedent setting case – 7 years |
Patents | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Marketing
Record type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Marketing campaign, promotion & sponsorship | 5 years |
Medical records (patient files)
Record Type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Children under 18 | 7 years after last visit or until patient turns 25 years of age |
Adults over 18 | 7 years after last visit |
Prizes and scholarships
Record Type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Registers of recipients | Required as State Archives |
Establishment and conditions of internal & external scholarships, prizes, bursaries & fellowships. | 10 years |
Management and delivery of internal & external scholarships, prizes, bursaries & fellowships. | 7 years |
Property records
Record Type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Deed Registers, Property Registers, Land Registers & Certificates of Title | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Significant Building/structure construction records | Permanent - Do Not Destroy |
Identification and management of asbestos used in construction | 99 years from removal or disposal of asbestos |
Building/structure construction records | Life of building plus 7 years |
Building Structure fit-outs and installations | Life of building plus 7 years |
Non-structural changes fit-outs and installations | 7 years after completion of work |
Building upgrades | 7 years after completion of work |
Commemorative plaque records | 2 years |
Research records
Record Type | Minimum retention period |
|---|
Ethics | Animal - 7 years Biosafety - 10 years Human - 15 years |
Grants | 7 years |
Research management - internal projects not requiring ethics approval
- investigations and complaints where there is no ethics committee oversight
| 7 years |
Final reports on individual research projects that include outcomes of the research project | Required as State Archives |
Research projects or proposals that are not approved or do not proceed. | 2 years |
Research data | Generally, 5 years after project completed But see the NHMRC data management guidelines and GA47 3.5.0 (Research data) for research that: - involves clinical trials or may have potential long-term effects on humans
- is of regulatory, community, or cultural significance.
|
This guide was adapted with permission from similar material authored by Macquarie University.
