Senate Continuing Order No. 10

Requirements of Senate Continuing Order No. 10 as varied by the Senate on 3 December 1998

1. Provision of Six Monthly File Lists on the Internet

Subject to the definitions in Paragraph 3 below, each department and agency must provide, on its Internet home page, an indexed list of the titles of all relevant files, including new parts of existing files:

1. created between 1 July and 31 December of the preceding year in the central office of that department or agency – not later than the tenth day of the autumn sittings
2. created between 1 January and 30 June of that year in the central office of that department or agency – not later than the tenth day of the spring sittings.

Additionally, the Senate requires departments and agencies to maintain lists on their home pages of all files created in the most recent calendar year.

Accordingly, when the lists for the second half of 2009 are placed on home pages, the lists for the first half of 2009 must also be placed there.

Departments and agencies have the option of consolidating their lists or keeping them as separate documents. If separate documents are placed on home pages, the 2008 lists may be removed when both lists for 2009 have been placed on home pages, and so on. Alternatively, departments and agencies may wish to retain all file lists on their home pages.

'Relevant files' includes files relating to the policy advising functions of the department or agency, including any relating to the development of legislation and other matters of public administration, but need not include:

1. files transferred to the Australian Archives
2. case related files
   Example: Personal representations or dealing with the personal affairs of departmental or agency clients or taxpayers
3. files essentially related to the internal administration of the department or agency.
   Example: Staff or personnel matters.