VPRS 12495 General Correspondence Files, Alpha-Numeric System

Full description

This series consists of correspondence files created by the Department of Industry Technology and Resources (DITR - VA 2661) in 1986 and continued by successor agencies until 1996. It appears to have functioned as the central filing system for each of these agencies with the exception of the Department of Business of Employment (VA 3096) where it was one of two main systems.

The contents of files thus relate to the full range of activities undertaken by these agencies. These can be broadly defined as:

Departmental administration - documenting housekeeping activities of the Department such as accounts, stores, transport and Freedom of Information Act requests. The great majority of these files were destroyed in 1999 under the provisions of PROS 96/13 General Disposal Schedule for Common Administrative Records.

Industry and Technology/trade - encompassing two broad areas. The first is overseas trade. This covers matters such as the overseas promotion and marketing of Victorian industry, business migration, and the activities of Victorian overseas trade representatives such as the Agent-General in London and similar representatives in Germany, Japan and the United States. The other area broadly documents the Department's responsibilities in relation to the development of Victorian industry including files on topics such as industry technology, legislation, major projects and regionalisation.

Company liaison - recording the relationship between the Department and individual (mostly private) companies. At least two types of file are apparent within this category. One is for files that document the details of a specific project or activity (such as relocation, revitalisation, technology support, export, investment facilitation and payroll/land tax issues) involving both the Department and company. The other, which accounts for the greater quantity in this category, is a client (or 'general') file that documents any other interaction between the two.

Energy files - there are no files from this category in archival custody. This is because all of the files in this category were transferred to the Department of Energy and Minerals (VA 3055) in 1992 when energy and mineral resources functions were transferred from the Department of Manufacturing and Industry Development (VA 3012).

Agency liaison - documenting the relationship between the Department and other agencies in the State and Federal Public Sectors. Most of the extant files relate to agencies within the Department's portfolio such as the Alpine Resorts Commission, Overseas Projects Corporation, Prices Commissioner, Victorian Tourism Commission and the Small Business Development Corporation. Most of the remaining files in this category were transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Financial assessment of Victorian companies - conducted by the Department's Financial Management and Evaluation Group (FMEG) until 1992 and the Financial Management Administration Group (FMA) from 1993. FMEG assessed applications for Victorian Government grants valued above $50,000 to Victorian companies and FMA conducted assessments for Federal Government grants from AusIndustry that had no monetary limit. Irrespective of the period, these Groups assessed all companies applying for grants to establish whether these businesses were viable and possessed the necessary management skills for survival. Both Groups then monitored approved grants through the Business Assistance Reporting Scheme.

Filing systems - Department of Business and Employment 1992

This series does not contain files relating to functions by the Industry Services Division of the Department of Business and Employment during 1992. This Division maintained a separate annual single number filing system (VPRS 10982) which documented the Department's core labour functions including employment and training, industry regulation, industrial relations and occupational health and safety.

Previous and subsequent series

This series was established in 1986 to create a central filing system for the Department of Industry, Technology and Resources (DITR) replacing VPRS 7316. However, it appears new files continued to be created within VPRS 7316 for an undetermined period after the establishment of this series.

This series was maintained by the successor Departments to DITR until 1996 when it was replaced by a single number system.