South Australia · Government

Official social media in South Australia can be subject to its recordkeeping laws.

The State Records Act 1997 (SA) and the Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) can reach posts, comments and replies made on official accounts. Brolly captures them automatically so councils and agencies can answer a FOI application without relying on screenshots.

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Used in SA

SA Dental

Know your legislation

Four things shape the record in South Australia.

The records Act, the access regime, retention and disposal, and the authority that oversees them — each named from the legislation and linked to its source. Confirm current requirements with your records authority and legal team. Sources last reviewed 21 August 2026.

Records act

State Records Act 1997 (SA)

Agencies, including state government agencies, councils and universities, must maintain official records (now described as information assets) in their custody in good order and condition, and may only dispose of them under a determination by the Manager of State Records. State Records Act 1997 No. 8

Access to information

FOI Act

An agency must deal with an FOI application as soon as practicable and within 30 days of receiving it, unless the period is extended under the Act (for example, by agreement with the applicant or for third-party consultation). Request term: FOI application · Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA)

Retention & disposal

General Disposal Schedules issued by State Records of South Australia (GDS 30 for state agencies, GDS 40 for local government)

Retention follows the function the record documents, not the channel. Social media content sits under the same disposal schedule as the activity it evidences. Retention and disposal authorities

Records authority & oversight

State Records of South Australia

State Records of South Australia · Managing information guidanceOversight: Ombudsman SA

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State Records Act 1997 (SA)
Archiving Social Media: A Guide For SA Government
SA lawAustralia-wide lawRecordsChecklist
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Social Media Legislation Guide.

The SA edition, written for records and communications teams in South Australia government.

South Australia and Australia-wide legislation, side by side Records obligations explained in plain English Bonus compliance checklist inside
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For councils

Local Government Act 1999 (SA)

Councils are agencies under the State Records Act and the FOI Act; council members' official-capacity communications can be council records.

  • Integrity body: Ombudsman SA

Social media archiving for councils

Brolly illustration of records being organised for a request
How Brolly helps

Meeting the obligation in SA, without screenshots.

Capture every official channel as it happens

Brolly connects to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok through official APIs and keeps posts, comments, replies, edits and deletions with their metadata and a digital checksum. That helps you meet the recordkeeping expectations set by State Records of South Australia.

  • FOI Act-ready exports in PDF, CSV, HTML or JSON, with chain of custody preserved
  • Search by account, date, keyword or author, then export the set a records officer needs
See the archiveProtect and moderation

Retention aligned to your authority, records in your EDRMS

Set retention to follow your retention and disposal authority, so social media records are kept for as long as the business activity they evidence and disposed of on your terms. The Content Manager integration sends records into your EDRMS alongside the rest of your records.

  • Retention and legal hold you control, applied per account
  • Records stored on AWS cloud servers located in Australia
Content Manager integration
Straight answers

Questions SA records teams ask

Can SA council and agency social media content be an official record?
Yes, it can. The State Records Act 1997 covers information created or received in the conduct of government business in any format, and State Records of South Australia lists social media among the digital records agencies manage. Whether an item must be kept, and for how long, follows your disposal schedule and records policy.

Source: State Records Act 1997 (SA) · State Records of South Australia: Managing information guidance

How long does an SA agency have to determine an FOI application?
The Freedom of Information Act 1991 requires a determination as soon as practicable and within 30 days, unless the period is extended under the Act. Records staff need to be able to find and produce social media content within that time.

Source: Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) · Ombudsman SA

Is a screenshot enough to meet the obligation?
A screenshot captures one moment. It usually misses later comments, edits and deletions, and it carries little of the metadata that shows when and where the content was made. A capture that keeps the thread, the changes and the context is easier to rely on if a request or complaint arrives.
How does Brolly help a South Australian agency?
Brolly captures official accounts continuously, keeps posts, comments, edits and deletions searchable with their metadata, and exports them in formats your records team can file in an EDRMS or produce for an FOI application. It helps you meet your obligations; it does not replace your disposal schedule or legal advice.

Nothing is lost.

See complete capture on your own SA channels in a 20-minute walkthrough. Records teams welcome.

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