Victoria · Government

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

The Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) and the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) can reach posts, comments and replies made on official accounts. Brolly captures them automatically so councils and agencies can answer a FOI request without relying on screenshots.

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Victoria organisations that use Brolly

  • WorkSafe Victoria
Know your legislation

Four things shape the record in Victoria.

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

Public Records Act 1973 (Vic)

A public record is any record made or received by a public officer in the course of their duties. Public offices must make and keep full and accurate records, manage them to the standards issued by the Keeper of Public Records, and dispose of them only under an authorised retention and disposal authority. Public Records Act 1973 No. 8418

Access to information

FOI Act

An agency must decide a valid FOI request as soon as practicable and no later than 30 days after receiving it (s 21). The period can be extended by up to 15 days where third-party consultation is required, or by up to 30 days with the applicant's agreement. Request term: FOI request · Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)

Retention & disposal

Retention and disposal authorities issued by Public Record Office Victoria (including PROS 09/05 for local government)

Retention follows the function the record documents, not the platform. Social media records sit under the same authority as the activity they evidence, such as community engagement, complaints or emergency communications. Retention and disposal authorities

Records authority & oversight

Public Record Office Victoria (PROV)

Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) · Social media records guidanceOversight: Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)

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Public Records Act 1973 (Vic)
Archiving Social Media: A Guide For Victoria Government
Victoria lawAustralia-wide lawRecordsChecklist
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Social Media Legislation Guide.

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

Victoria 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 2020 (Vic)

Councils are public offices under the Public Records Act and agencies under the FOI Act; councillors' official-capacity communications can be council records.

  • Integrity body: Local Government Inspectorate

Social media archiving for councils

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

Meeting the obligation in Victoria, 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 Public Record Office Victoria (PROV).

  • 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 Victoria records teams ask

Can a Victorian council's social media posts be public records?
Yes, they can. A public record under the Public Records Act 1973 is any record made or received by a public officer in the course of their duties, and PROV's guidance applies that to posts, comments and messages on official accounts. Whether a particular item needs to be kept depends on what it documents, so follow your records policy and PROV's advice.

Source: Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) · Public Record Office Victoria (PROV): Social media records guidance

How long does a Victorian agency have to decide an FOI request?
The FOI Act sets 30 days from receipt of a valid request, with limited extensions for third-party consultation or by agreement. OVIC publishes guidance on calculating the period. If a request covers social media, records staff need to find and produce the content within that window.

Source: Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) · Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)

Does the retention period change because a post was on social media?
No. Retention follows the function the record documents. An emergency warning, a complaint or a planning consultation posted on Facebook is kept under the same retention and disposal authority as the same activity recorded by email or letter. Say 'your retention and disposal authority' rather than a fixed number of years.

Source: Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) · Public Record Office Victoria (PROV): Social media records guidance

How does Brolly help a Victorian council meet these obligations?
Brolly captures posts, comments, edits and deletions from official accounts as they happen, keeps them searchable with their metadata, and exports them in formats records staff can file or produce. It helps you meet recordkeeping and FOI obligations; it does not replace your records policy or legal advice.

Nothing is lost.

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

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