The State Records Commission was established under the State Records Act 2000. The four member Commission is composed of the Auditor General, the Information Commissioner, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations (also known as the State Ombudsman) and a person appointed for a set term by the Governor who has experience in recordkeeping and who is not a public service officer.

The Commission's functions include: monitoring the operation of and compliance with the State Records Act; monitoring compliance by government organisations with their recordkeeping plans; and inquiring into breaches or possible breaches of the State Records Act. The Commission is also responsible for establishing principles and standards to govern recordkeeping by government organizations.

The Commission reports directly to Parliament and is required to provide Parliament with an annual report on the operation of the legislation. It can at any time submit a written report to Parliament about contraventions of the Act by a government organization.