PLANNED REGULATORY CHANGE
Title / Review of the National Classification Scheme
Description of issue / The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) completed its review of the National Classification Scheme (NCS) in early 2012.
The review considered Commonwealth, State and Territory classification laws including schedules 5 and 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and the broader classification policy framework having regard to the rapid pace of technological change, the need to improve classification information available to the community, the effect of media on children, and the desirability of a strong content and distribution industry in Australia.
The review recommended fundamental changes to the architecture and regulatory framework of the NCS. Key recommended reforms include broadening the scope of the NCS to encompass online and broadcast content, implementing a Commonwealth-only scheme, establishing a single Regulator to manage all content classification regulation, and increasing industry classification under co-regulatory arrangements.
The regulatory changes that may result may involve amendments to the current Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995(Cth) and/or the drafting of new legislation to establish a new NCS.
Any changes will affect all stakeholders in the NCS and potentially additional stakeholders that are currently regulated under other regimes (eg. broadcasters).
Reforms are intended to ensure that the NCS continues to effectively regulate certain media content in a rapidly evolving, technology driven environment.
Consultation opportunities / The ALRC published an Issues Paper on 20 May 2011 that received in excess of 2000 public submissions. Some 200 submissions were made in response to the more detailed proposals for reform set out in the Discussion Paper that was published on 30 September 2011.
The ALRC’s final report was tabled on 1 March 2012 and is available at
Further consultation with key stakeholders (including government, industry and the community) is expected to occur in developing any Government response and in informing the implementation of any agreed reforms and any new legislation.
Expected timetable / The Government is currently considering the ALRC’s recommendations. As the NCS is a cooperative scheme, developing a Government response will involve consultation with the States and Territories which may take some time. The manner in which the ALRC’s recommendations intersect with the recommendations of the Convergence Review are also being considered.
Contact details / Isabella Cosenza
Manager, Policy Section
Classification Branch
Attorney-General’s Department
Ph:(02) 9289 7146
Fax: (02)9289 7101

Date last modified / This information was updated on 25 May 2012.

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