Recording Government

Local Government Thesaurus

On This Page

• Background to the Local Government Thesaurus
• Supporting information

Background to the Local Government Thesaurus

The South Australian Local Government Thesaurus was developed as part of the South Australian Local Government General Disposal Schedule Project.

It is a tool developed to assist Local Government Authorities (Councils) in South Australia manage their official records.

The Thesaurus mirrors the General Disposal Schedule No. 20 for Local Government Authorities (GDS 20).

The project team responsible for the development of the GDS 20 undertook a comprehensive functional analysis of Local Government within South Australia. The result of this functional analysis was a Business Classification Scheme reflecting the Business Functions, Activities and Transactions of South Australian Local Government Authorities (Councils).

The Business Classification Scheme was then used as a basis for the development of the GDS 20. To ensure consistency and alignment with standards, the same Business Classification Scheme was used in the development of the Local Government Thesaurus.

The Functional hierarchical structure and terminology used in the GDS 20 has been carried through to the Local Government Thesaurus, making adequate classification, maintenance and disposal decisions and sentencing at the point of creation a reality for Councils.

The implementation of the Local Government Thesaurus will assist Councils in their progress toward best practice records management.

Related Information:

• General Disposal Schedule No.20
• Strategies for Adequate Records Management
• Standards for Records Management

Supporting information

State Records has produced the Thesaurus of Terms for Local Government to introduce and give complete details of the South Australian Local Government Thesaurus. The Local Government Thesaurus has been updated to reflect GDS 20 4th edition.

As it is necessary for State Records to provide secure access to the Local Government Thesaurus it is only available to authorised Local Government agency users via the State Records website members area. The Thesaurus is not available in hardcopy, but can be printed if required.

For further information, including instructions on accessing the Thesaurus, please contact Records Management Services.

A standard outlining the Thesaurus of Terms for South Australian Local Government agencies. It is based on GDS 20 Edition 4. Thesaurus of Terms for Local Government (1.41 MB PDF File)

Related Information:

• EDRMS Frequently Asked Questions
• When to use a GDS or an RDS