A records authority is a legal instrument that allows an organisation to make decisions about keeping, destroying or transferring records. Records authorities are used to determine how long to keep records and provide permission for the destruction of records once this time has passed.
The two common types of records authorities for Australian Government agencies are agency-specific records authorities and general records authorities (GRAs)
The National Archives of Australia issues general records authorities (GRAs) to authorise the disposal of information and records of administrative business activities and responsibilities common to many Australian Government agencies.