Tasmania · Government

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

The Archives Act 1983 (Tas) and the Right to Information Act 2009 (Tas) can reach posts, comments and replies made on official accounts. Brolly captures them automatically so councils and agencies can answer a RTI application without relying on screenshots.

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Tasmania organisations that use Brolly

  • TasWater
Know your legislation

Four things shape the record in Tasmania.

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

Archives Act 1983 (Tas)

State and local government authorities must keep the records of their business and may only dispose of them with the authorisation of the State Archivist. The State Archivist issues guidelines and retention and disposal schedules that relevant authorities must follow. Archives Act 1983 No. 76 of 1983

Access to information

RTI Act

A public authority must decide an accepted application within 20 working days, which can extend by a further 20 working days where a third party must be consulted. Request term: RTI application · Right to Information Act 2009 (Tas)

Retention & disposal

Disposal schedules issued by the Office of the State Archivist (including the Disposal Schedule for Local Government Records)

Retention follows the function the content documents, not the platform. Social media records are kept under the same disposal schedule as the business activity they evidence. Retention and disposal authorities

Records authority & oversight

Office of the State Archivist (Tasmanian Archives, Libraries Tasmania)

Office of the State Archivist (Tasmanian Archives, Libraries Tasmania) · Information Management FrameworkOversight: Ombudsman Tasmania

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Archives Act 1983 (Tas)
Archiving Social Media: A Guide For Tasmania Government
Tasmania lawAustralia-wide lawRecordsChecklist
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Free guide

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Social Media Legislation Guide.

The Tasmania edition, written for records and communications teams in Tasmania government.

Tasmania and Australia-wide legislation, side by side Records obligations explained in plain English Bonus compliance checklist inside
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In their words
“Social media tools are often used to have informal conversations, but legislative requirements still apply. If you are using social media for government business purposes then the information you issue, share or receive via social media is official government information.”

Office of the State Archivist, Tasmania — read the guidance

For councils

Local Government Act 1993 (Tas)

Councils are relevant authorities under the Archives Act and public authorities under the RTI Act; councillors' official-capacity communications can be council records.

  • Integrity body: Director of Local Government (Office of Local Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet)

Social media archiving for councils

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

Meeting the obligation in Tasmania, 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 the Office of the State Archivist (Tasmanian Archives, Libraries Tasmania).

  • RTI 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 Tasmania records teams ask

Can a Tasmanian council's social media content be a state record?
Yes, it can. The Office of the State Archivist's guidance says information issued, shared or received through social media for government business is official government information, and the Archives Act 1983 governs how relevant authorities keep and dispose of their records. Your disposal schedule and records policy decide what is kept.

Source: Archives Act 1983 (Tas) · Office of the State Archivist (Tasmanian Archives, Libraries Tasmania): Information Management Framework

How long does a Tasmanian public authority have to decide an RTI application?
The Right to Information Act 2009 allows 20 working days from acceptance of the application, extendable by a further 20 working days where a third party must be consulted. Records staff need to find and produce social media content within that window.

Source: Right to Information Act 2009 (Tas) · Ombudsman Tasmania

Why does a minor post matter later?
If a resident relies on a post to make a decision, you may need to show exactly what was published at that time and what was said in reply. Content that was edited or removed is hard to reconstruct from screenshots. Continuous capture keeps the evidence, including changes, without extra effort from the comms team.
How does Brolly help a Tasmanian authority meet these obligations?
Brolly captures official accounts as they are used, keeps posts, comments, edits and deletions searchable with their metadata, and exports in formats your records team can file or produce for an RTI application. It helps you meet your obligations under the Archives Act; it does not replace your disposal schedule.

Nothing is lost.

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

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