The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report "Recordkeeping including the Management of Electronic Records", released on October 12, audited the recordkeeping systems and processes in the Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Electoral Commission and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The report states none of the agencies had given adequate consideration to recordkeeping risks and the agencies should assess these risks in the context of a broader risk management framework.

"Another common issue identified was the need for entities to identify, in the context of business continuity planning, their vital records and to take steps designed to ensure these records are accessible and usable within specified timeframes in the event of a disaster," the report states.

"Each agency was found to use an electronic corporate recordkeeping system that in most cases did not recognize and manage these systems as part of the corporate recordkeeping framework and as a consequence the records held in the majority of the electronic systems reviewed as part of the audit were not being managed in accordance with the entity's recordkeeping policy.

"The ANAO considered that none of the entities had given adequate consideration to their recordkeeping risks ...Another common issue identified was the need for entities to identify, in the context of business continuity planning, their vital records and to take steps designed to ensure these records are accessible and usable within specified timeframes in the event of a disaster."