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What is APROSS?

An Approved Public Record Office Storage Supplier, also known as APROSS, is a commercial storage facility which has been appointed by the Keeper of Public Records under section 12 of the Public Records Act 1973 for the storage of Victorian public records in physical formats. To become an APROSS, a commercial storage facility must be assessed by PROV as meeting the requirements of PROS 20/02 S1 APROSS Specification. 

Victorian public offices can only store physical format public records in a facility not controlled by them, if that facility has been certified as an APROSS. While stored in an APROSS, public records remain under the control of the agency which has responsibility for them. This means the head of the public office is responsible for the records and must ensure the APROSS manages the records appropriately. This would usually be done through a contract or agreement between the agency and the APROSS facility.

 

What records can be moved to an APROSS facility?

Agencies can move the following categories of records to an APROSS facility for storage:

Category of records Actions allowed under the Storage Standard
Records determined to have temporary value Move to APROSS at any time
Records where retention requirements have not been determined Cannot be moved to an APROSS until the retention requirements have been determined
Records determined to have permanent value Cannot be moved to an APROSS. Exemptions to this may be granted by the Keeper of Public Records or their delegate. If an exemption is granted, the agency must comply with the conditions set by PROV.

 

 

Using an APROSS

When approving a commercial storage facility as an APROSS, PROV assesses the facility against the APROSS Specification. This process involves an assessment of the physical conditions of the facility - it does not assess the service offerings, systems, processes or costs.

When selecting an APROSS, an agency needs to undertake a much more detailed assessment in order to ensure that:

  • their records will be protected
  • they will receive the services they require
  • they have a complete understanding of the costs involved.

It is suggested that you visit the facility where your records would be stored as part of the procurement process. Agencies should seek legal advice before signing a contract or agreement with an APROSS. At a minimum, this should specify service levels, the costs and exit arrangements.

Some things to consider when selecting an APROSS:

APROSS? Make sure the actual facility is an APROSS and obtain a written guarantee that the records cannot be moved to a different facility without your agreement. Commercial storage providers usually have multiple facilities and some of them might not be certified by PROV as an APROSS.
Services Determine the services you will need. How quickly will you need records? Will you need access to records outside of normal business hours and, if so, how often is this likely? Do you need additional services like processing and listing, sentencing or digitisation? Are you likely to need access to space for processing records yourself?
Costs Get a detailed breakdown of costs for different services and products. For example for lodgment, storage, retrievals within different timeframes, destruction, permanent removal and boxes/barcodes etc.
Contact Will you be supplied with a contact who will respond quickly to any questions, concerns, or requests?
Formats Are they able to properly store all of the physical formats you have?
System

Will you have access to their system? What does the system allow you to do? Can you use it to request actions and prepare reports on your agencies record holdings? How easy is it to use? If you cannot run the reports you need from the system yourself, what reports will they provide to you? Is there a cost for this?
Movement What processes do they have in place to ensure the movement of records is effectively tracked? How will records be transported? Would this be done by APROSS employees or third party providers? Will this be done in closed and locked vehicles where records cannot accidently fall or be stolen during transit? Is there a process to check boxes/records onto the vehicle and off at the other end?
Security What sort of security arrangements do they have in place to ensure records are protected?
Destruction What processes do they have in place to ensure records are only destroyed with the proper authorisation? What safeguards do they have? What destruction methods do they use?
Insurance  What insurance coverage and arrangements are in place?
Exit If you wish to remove some or all of your records at some point, what would the cost, process and timeframe be? A potential issue could arise if the APROSS is reluctant to release the records and will not action the exit within a reasonable timeframe.

 

Records stored in an APROSS facility remain the responsibility of the head of the agency. Like any contractual arrangement, the performance of the APROSS should be monitored by your agency to ensure the records you are responsible for are protected and managed appropriately. 

Records are particularly at risk during transit and as part of destruction processes - you need to be satisfied that records are being transported appropriately, are tracked while in transit and that there are safeguards in place to ensure accidental destruction does not occur. 

To retain APROSS certification, the facility must continue to comply with the requirements of the APROSS Specification. PROV requires each APROSS to submit an Annual Attestation stating that they continue to comply with the requirements. PROV inspects APROSS on a programmed basis or when concern is raised.

An APROSS must inform PROV and the agency whose records they are holding when there are any issues or incidents which have affected or may affect public records. This notification must occur as soon as practicable. This includes:

  • Major structural damage to the facility
  • Disasters or incidents leading to the damage or destruction of public records
  • A major issue with the facility's ability to locate and retrieve records
  • Any issues or incidents affecting the security of the records.

The APROSS must also inform PROV when its Business Continuity Plan or Disaster Plan has been activated.

Agencies should inform PROV when they are concerned about an incident or issue involving an APROSS which has put or may put public records at risk. PROV will investigate this and communicate the outcomes to the agency.

Example 1

An agency wants to ensure that records cannot be accidently destroyed by an APROSS. They question the APROSS and are told that:

  • Records cannot be scheduled for destruction without explicit approval from the agency representative, with a record of this approval retained by the APROSS
  • Items for destruction have a brightly coloured sticker placed on them
  • Items for destruction are placed on separate trolleys/pallets and are separated from other items during transport
  • APROSS staff check the barcodes of items when removing from the shelves, when placing into vehicles, when removing from vehicles and before destruction to ensure the correct items are destroyed
  • The destruction method used will ensure the records cannot be reconstructed
  • The agency will receive a notice of destruction showing what was destroyed, the time/date/location of destruction and the agency person who authorised it.

Example 2

An agency becomes aware that an APROSS has accidently and unlawfully destroyed some of their records. The APROSS and the agency work quickly together to ensure the remaining records are not at risk. The agency works with the APROSS to identify the destroyed records and informs PROV as soon as possible. The APROSS also informs PROV, as required by the PROS 20/02 S1 APROSS Specification.

The agency determines how critical the records were, whether the information is available elsewhere and if it is possible to recreate the records from other sources. If the agency decides it is necessary and possible, it commences action to recreate the record from other sources. The resourcing for this is negotiated between the agency, APROSS and their insurers.

PROV investigates the incident, working with the APROSS to determine the causes and any required changes to their practices. PROV monitors the APROSS to ensure any required changes are implemented. The Keeper of Public Records decides whether the APROSS will be de-certified or put on probation for a period of time. PROV keeps the agency informed and ensures they are satisfied with the process and result.

Example 3

An agency wants to ensure that records cannot be lost or stolen during transit. They question the APROSS and are told that:

  • Records will be transported in their own closed vans by staff employed by the APROSS
  • The vehicles will be locked, with staff checking the barcodes of the items when removing from shelves, when placing into vans, when removing from the vans. Agency staff receiving the records will be asked to check and sign for them.

Example 4

An agency wants to ensure that records cannot be removed from the specified facility to another facility without their agreement and that the records continue to be held in a facility certified as an APROSS. To ensure this, these requirements are included in the contract between the APROSS and agency.

Example 5

An agency wants to ensure that their records will be returned in a timely manner and for a reasonable cost if they decide to exit the arrangement. To ensure this occurs, guarantees and costs (including any likely increases) are included in the contract between the APROSS and the agency.

Example 6

An agency occasionally needs to access records held at an APROSS outside standard business hours within very short timeframes. The agency ensures it selects an APROSS which can deliver the required services and that these requirements and the associated cost structure is included in the contract.

Current approved APROSS facilities

The commercial storage suppliers listed below have been inspected and approved by PROV for the storage of physical format records:

NameLocationApproved
Advanced Record Management140 Broderick Road, Corio
(2 sites)		2016
 123 – 129 Broderick Road, Corio
(2 sites)		2016
Caval Ltd - CARM 13 Park Drive, Bundoora2003
Caval Ltd - CARM 24 Park Drive, Bundoora2012
Compu-stor32-34 Burns Road, Altona2009
 Unit 10-8 Techno Park Drive, Williamstown2024
The Doc Shop16 Rocla Road, Traralgon2010
Doc U Store10 – 16 Osboldstone Road, Wangaratta2006
FUJIFILM Data Management Solutions213-215 Robinsons Road, Ravenhall2023
Grace Information Management27/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2004
 13 Baldock Court, Eaglehawk2005
 31/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2008
 23 Kane Road, Wodonga2018
 22 Salta Drive, Altona North2009
 24 Industrial Place, Breakwater2011
 38/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2011
 13 Caravan Street, Wendouree2012
 39/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2015
 199-201 Princess Highway, Hallam2021
Iron Mountain37A/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2009
 451 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne2012
 465 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne2012
 477 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne2012
 578 Somerville Road, Sunshine2012
 37 Logistics Drive, Truganina2023
 Baranduna Drive, Wodonga2012
Secure It Records Management5 Grandlee Drive, Wendouree2019
Smart Records Group32 Tarnard Drive, Braeside2018
TIMGLaverton2010
ZircoDATA28/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2004
 29/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2006
 30/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray2009
 202-288 Greens Road, Dandenong2015

Please note:

  • Zirco Data facility at 35-36/9 Ashley Street, West Footscray is closed and no longer an APROSS. Records have been relocated to their other Footscray facilities.
  • TiMG facility at Abbotsford is closed and no longer an APROSS. Records have been relocated to their Laverton facility.
  • Iron Mountain facility at Dandenong has closed and records formerly held at the facility have been relocated to other facilities.
  • Grace Records Management facility at 61 Wigg Street Wodonga has been replaced by their facility at 23 Kane Road Wodonga.
  • LV Security facility at 19 Leesons Road Traralgon is no longer an APROSS facility.

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