Classification of Titles from Rockstar Games
WantedWombat made this Freedom of Information request to Classification Board
Dear Classification Board,
Consistent with the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request documentation relating to the classification of the following Titles published by Rockstar Games
- Grand Theft Auto III (File Number T01/2716)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (File Number T04/3701)
- Bonaire (Classification Number 102341867)
Yours faithfully,
WantedWombat
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon
Thank you for your email of 20 March 2023 requesting access to documents
held by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications and the Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
You have requested access to:
documentation relating to the classification of the following Titles
published by Rockstar Games
- Grand Theft Auto III (File Number T01/2716)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (File Number T04/3701)
- Bonaire (Classification Number 102341867)
Your request has been allocated the reference number [FOI23-209]. Could
you please ensure that you quote this reference number in all future
correspondence with the Department.
Timeframes
The statutory due date for you to receive a decision on your request is 19
April 2023. This date may be extended in certain circumstances, and in the
event that this occurs, the Department will notify you. Where the due
date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the timeframe will
expire on the next working day.
Other information
Please note that the Department considers the following information
outside the scope of your request unless you specifically request it:
o personal information of third-party individuals; including public
servants below the SES level and all email addresses, signatures and
direct telephone numbers
o any duplicates and drafts of final versions of documents captured by
your request
o any correspondence sent directly to or from you.
The Department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents in accordance with the Freedom of Information
(Charges) Regulations. You will be notified separately if the Department
decides to impose a charge. There is no charge for documents that contain
your own personal information.
Where documents are released to you under the FOI Act in response to your
request, the Department must publish those documents on its FOI Disclosure
Log within 10 business days of their release to you, unless they contain
personal information or business affairs information that would be
unreasonable to publish. Further information regarding the Department’s
FOI Disclosure Log can be found [1]here.
Should you have any questions relating to your request, please do not
hesitate to contact the FOI Section via email to
[2][email address]
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information (FOI) • Assurance, Integrity, Risk and Governance
Branch • People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
[3][email address]
P +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[4]infrastructure.gov.au
[5]cid:image001.png@01D8C692.1477CCB0
OFFICIAL
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon
I refer to your FOI request reference 23-209 and am writing to you to seek clarification of the scope of your request.
You have requested "documentation relating to the classification of the following Titles published by Rockstar Games ...". The Board holds a large number of documents which would be relevant to a broad interpretation of your request. This may result in a substantial and unreasonable diversion of the Board's recourses were they all to be captured by your request. As such, we are seeking to understand the precise nature of the documents you are wishing to access.
For example, are you seeking access to the Classification Board Decision record which documents the reasons for the Board's decision on classification?
If you require documents in addition to the Board's decision document, could you please provide additional information around the types of documents you are seeking to access.
If you are able to provide us with clarification by COB Monday, this would assist us with the processing of your request.
With kind regards
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information Section
Assurance, Integrity, Risk and Governance Branch • Finance and Business Services Division
E: [Classification Board request email]
T: +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
infrastructure.gov.au
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which we meet, work and live.
I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters and communities.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
OFFICIAL
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your reply seeking clarification of my request. I understand that the current scope of this request would be a substantial diversion of the Board’s Resources.
As such, I have clarified the types of Documents I am looking to access from each Title below:
- Grand Theft Auto III (File Number T01/2716) : Classification Board Decision Record (Including Applications, Board Reports and Certificates), Classifier Blues/Censor Notes and Authorised Assessor Recommendation Reports regarding the refusal of Classification between November 1st and December 31st 2001, along with the same nature of documents regarding the Title's subsequent reclassification in January 2002. Furthermore, I am also requesting any correspondence between the Classification Board/OFLC and the Publisher (Rockstar Games/Take 2 Interactive Software) during this time that was influential to the Classification’s Board decision making.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (File Number T04/3701) : Classification Board Decision Record, (Including Application, Board Reports and Certificates), Classifier Blues/Censor Notes and Authorised Assessor Recommendation Reports regarding the revoked/refused classification of the title in August 2005, along with the same nature of documents regarding the Title's subsequent reclassification in September 2005. Furthermore, I am requesting any correspondence between the Classification Board/OFLC and the Publisher (Rockstar Games/Take 2 Interactive Software) during this time that was influential to the Classification’s Board decision making.
- Bonaire (Classification Number 102341867) : All Documents relevant and relating to this Title’s refusal of Classification.
Yours sincerely,
WantedWombat
OFFICIAL
Good morning
On 20 March 2023, you requested access to documents held by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act). The current due date for your request is 19 April 2023.
The Department is currently processing a larger than usual number of FOI requests and requires additional time to ensure a complete search for all records relevant to your request has been undertaken and to be able to finalise the decision on access to any documents identified as being relevant to your FOI request.
Section 15AA of the FOI Act enables the Department to seek your agreement to an extension of up to 30 days. At this point, we are requesting a 14-day extension.
If you agree to this extension, the due date for a decision to be provided to you will become 3 May 2023.
If you do not agree, we will need to consider seeking an extension from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
To assist us with the management of your request, we are requesting a response from you by 13 April 2023.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at [email address]
With kind regards
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information Section
Assurance, Integrity, Risk and Governance Branch • Finance and Business Services Division
E: [Classification Board request email]
T: +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
infrastructure.gov.au
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on which we meet, work and live.
I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters and communities.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
OFFICIAL
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your reply.
I accept your request for an extension.
Yours sincerely,
WantedWombat
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon,
I refer to your request for access to documents held by the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the
Arts (the Department) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Notification of Third-Party Consultation and Extension of Time
Your request captures documents which contain information concerning the
business, commercial or financial affairs or an organisation, or a
person’s business or profession affairs. Under section 27 of the FOI Act,
the Department is required to consult with the affected person or
organisation before making a decision on access to those documents.
For this reason, the period for processing your request has been extended
by 30 days under section 15(6) of the FOI Act in order to allow the
Department time to consult with the organisation. As such, the statutory
due date for your request is now 02/06/2023.
The consultation mechanism under section 27 applies when we believe the
person or organisation concerned may wish to contend that the requested
documents are exempt because their release would disclose trade secrets or
commercially valuable information or may adversely affect their business
or financial affairs.
I note that you have previously agreed to extension of 14 days under
section 15AA of the FOI Act and we will continue to progress this decision
as quickly as possible.
Consent to disclose your identity as the FOI applicant
In accordance with the Privacy Act, we will not disclose your identity to
the third party without your consent to do so. While you are under no
obligation to consent to the disclosure of your identify as the FOI
applicant, third parties may be less likely to raise concerns about the
release of their information if they know who the FOI applicant is. If you
consent to the Department naming you as the FOI applicant to the third
party(s) for the purpose of this consultation, please let us know by: COB
4 May 2023.
Kind regards
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information Section (FOI)
[1][email address]
P +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on
which we meet, work and live.
I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters
and communities.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders.
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
Dear FOI,
Thank you for your reply.
As per our previous correspondence, I accept your request for an extension.
I also give you consent to provide my identity, 'WantedWombat', to the third party.
In the case the third party requires more information about myself or my request, they can reach me via Email at [email address]
Yours sincerely,
WantedWombat
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon,
I refer to your request below for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Please find attached a decision in response to your request.
Due to the size of the documents, they are unable to be sent via email.
The documents will be provided to you via the department’s Secure File
Transfer system. The FOI team will let you know as soon as the documents
are ready in the system.
Section 11C of the FOI Act requires publication of documents released
under the FOI Act on the Department’s FOI disclosure log, subject to
certain exceptions, including where publication of personal, business,
professional or commercial information would be unreasonable. The
documents released to you will be published on the disclosure log within
10 working days.
Kind regards,
Sam
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information Section (FOI)
[1][email address]
P +61 2 6274 6294
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,
Communications and the Arts
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au
I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land on
which we meet, work and live.
I recognise and respect their continuing connection to the land, waters
and communities.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders.