Documents relating to Classification of RimWorld
Dear Classification Board,
I seek the following under the Freedom of Information Act 1982:
Any and all correspondence and documents after 1 January 2018 relating to decisions of the Classification Board and Classification Review Board regarding the Computer Games ‘RimWorld’ 2013, developed by Ludeon Studios.
Kind regards,
Alex Pentland
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Alex,
As I am sure you are aware, the classification of the computer game 'RimWorld' has now changed; please see the following link for the media release:
https://www.classification.gov.au/about-...
With this in mind, could you please confirm if you would like to proceed with your original request?
Should you intend to proceed with your original request, could you please clarify the following:
- In your original request, you have asked for access to 'any and all' correspondence - could you please confirm if this includes documents relating to complaints about the original classification of the game?
Should you like to change the scope of your request to cover the new classification, please note that you will need to withdraw your current request and resubmit a new FOI request. Should you intend to withdraw your original request, please advise in writing.
So that we can progress your request, please provide a response by return email by close of business Wednesday 27 April 2022.
Thank you,
Kristin
FOI Officer • Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance, Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
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,
I thank you for your reply and hope you understand this initial request may be complicated by the change in classification.
To reply to some of your questions. yes, this request would involve documents relating to the initial classification (RC) of RimWorld.
Given the reclassification, I think I will, at a later date, submit a separate request for the re-classification. However, this request will deal primarily with the original classification.
Thank you very much for your keen awareness in this area.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Your email has been received by the FOI Coordinator for the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and
will be actioned appropriately.
If you are contacting us with a request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the FOI Act), please be advised that we are working to confirm
the correct handling of this matter and will formally acknowledge your
request as soon as practicable with any next steps. You can expect this
contact to occur within 14 days of receipt of your email, in accordance
with paragraph 15(5)(a) of the FOI Act.
Thank you,
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information
Assurance, Integrity and Risk Branch
People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
E: [1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D724A5.551E1E80
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
3. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Alex,
Thank you for your reply.
Clarification -
The area responsible for processing your request has identified in excess of 300 documents received from members of the public regarding the original classification of Rimworld. Please note that this is correspondence and that there are other documents that have been identified as falling within the scope of your request. Could you please confirm if you would like the correspondence from members of the public to be included in the document pack? Please note that if you affirm that you would like this correspondence included, your request may be refused on the basis that it is too voluminous and would constitute an excessive and unreasonable diversion of resources.
Extension -
The current statutory deadline for you to receive a response to your FOI request is 03 May 2022.
Due to the delay regarding the re-classification of Rimworld, our office is seeking your agreement to a 30 day extension of the statutory deadline under section 15AA [extension with agreement] of the FOI Act. We will endeavour to process your request as soon as we can meaning that it may be completed before the requested extension due date.
Should you agree, the statutory deadline for you to receive a response to your request will expire on 02 June 2022.
It would be much appreciated if you could confirm the question above regarding correspondence as well as confirm your agreement to this extension of time via e-mail by close of business Monday 02 May 2022.
Thank you,
Kristin
FOI Officer • Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance, Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
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,
I thank the department for their response clarifying the issue and thank them further for giving me additional time to review and explain my perspective on this request.
In terms of the clarification, I understand and accept that this would likely be too voluminous a task, particularly possible redactions for individuals. As such, I accept that these are to be excluded, and if necessary, can be pursued in a separate request if required.
In terms of the extension, I consent to the extension and accept that it is appropriate in this context.
I thank you for your work.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Your email has been received by the FOI Coordinator for the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and
will be actioned appropriately.
If you are contacting us with a request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the FOI Act), please be advised that we are working to confirm
the correct handling of this matter and will formally acknowledge your
request as soon as practicable with any next steps. You can expect this
contact to occur within 14 days of receipt of your email, in accordance
with paragraph 15(5)(a) of the FOI Act.
Thank you,
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information
Assurance, Integrity and Risk Branch
People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
E: [1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D724A5.551E1E80
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
3. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...
Dear Classification Board,
I have given approval for an extension on the 1st of May, with the final date for the date of the decision to be 2 June. However, with the time now reaching 8 June 2022, I have not been provided either a decision or explanation.
If one is required in this case, I give my consent to it, however I am writing to inform you that the deadline has lapsed.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Pentland
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Alex,
Thank you for your email and my apologies for the delay in getting these documents to you. I have sought a status update from the applicable line area and am hoping to be able to provide you with some official correspondence early next week. Again, my apologies for this delay.
Regards,
Kristin
A/g Assistant Director – Freedom of Information
• Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance, Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
infrastructure.gov.au
OFFICIAL
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Alex,
I refer to your FOI request FOI CB 22-008 received on 05 April 2022
requesting access to documents in the possession of the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (the
department) in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the
FOI Act).
While processing your request, the department has identified that your
request includes documents from third party organisations. In accordance
with Section 26A of the FOI Act, the department is required to consult
with any third party agencies before making a decision on the release of
documents.
Section 15(6) of the FOI Act provides for an extension of 30 days to be
added to the statutory time limit for processing requests. Therefore, the
deadline for providing you with the decision on your request is now 02
July 2022.
Please advise if you consent to FOI Directorate naming you as the
applicant to third parties for the purpose of consultation by: COB
Thursday 16 June 2022.
While you are under no obligation to reveal your identity as the applicant
and we will not disclose your identity without consent, in our
experience, third parties will generally be more likely to object to the
release of their information if they do not know who the applicant is.
Please contact me by return email if you have any questions regarding the
processing of your request. Please ensure that you quote the FOI tracking
number located in the subject line for all enquiries relating to this
request.
Regards,
Kristin
A/g Assistant Director – Freedom of Information
• Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance,
Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D72AC1.D9095080
[4]cid:image001.png@01D818E4.7DB6ED20
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
Dear FOI,
I consent to be named as the applicant to third parties in this process.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Your email has been received by the FOI Coordinator for the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and
will be actioned appropriately.
If you are contacting us with a request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the FOI Act), please be advised that we are working to confirm
the correct handling of this matter and will formally acknowledge your
request as soon as practicable with any next steps. You can expect this
contact to occur within 14 days of receipt of your email, in accordance
with paragraph 15(5)(a) of the FOI Act.
Thank you,
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information
Assurance, Integrity and Risk Branch
People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
E: [1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D724A5.551E1E80
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
3. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...
Dear Classification Board,
I thank the classification authority for their attempts to conduct this review and understand that contacting third parties or similar authorities for these reviews can be difficult. I am sending a reply informing the Board that, unfortunately, it appears that this matter lapsed on the 2nd of July. Either that has occurred, or the filter for posting emails may have blocked any potential Classification Document if sensitive (which I believe to be unlikely in this case, but you never know_
I completely understand if further time is needed for consultation and review, and give personal consent for further extensions if required. However, I feel it is important to reply to notify the board of this lapsing.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Pentland
OFFICIAL
Good morning Alex,
The documents relating to your below FOI request were sent to you on 27 July 2022. We are currently liaising with our IT team as this is not the first time that emails sent to the Right to Know website have been blocked without notification. We are hoping to have these emails released today otherwise, could you please provide me with an alternative email address and I will forward on the email that was sent to you in July?
Regards,
Kristin
Case Manager – Freedom of Information
• Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance, Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[email address]
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
OFFICIAL
Dear FOI,
Thank you for the update, and sorry for the issues with the website. I can imagine those sometimes cause some headaches.
My personal email is [email address]. I hope that this allows you the ability to forward this.
Thank you for your work.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Your email has been received by the FOI Coordinator for the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and
will be actioned appropriately.
If you are contacting us with a request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the FOI Act), please be advised that we are working to confirm
the correct handling of this matter and will formally acknowledge your
request as soon as practicable with any next steps. You can expect this
contact to occur within 14 days of receipt of your email, in accordance
with paragraph 15(5)(a) of the FOI Act.
Thank you,
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information
Assurance, Integrity and Risk Branch
People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
E: [1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D724A5.551E1E80
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
3. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Alex,
Please find attached the decision letter relating to your FOI request CB
22-008 received on 05 April 2022.
Your request sought access to:
“Any and all correspondence and documents after 1 January 2018 relating to
decisions of the Classification Board and Classification Review Board
regarding the Computer Games ‘RimWorld’ 2013, developed by Ludeon
Studios.”
Should you have any questions in regard to this matter please contact this
office.
Regards,
Kristin
Case Manager – Freedom of Information
• Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance,
Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[1][email address]
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 [3]cid:image001.png@01D72AC1.D9095080
[4]cid:image001.png@01D818E4.7DB6ED20
OFFICIAL
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
OFFICIAL
Hi Alex,
Thanks for providing the alternative email address. The documents should now have been 'released' from our IT team, however I will also email them through now to your alternative email address below.
To ensure that it goes through, could you please confirm when you have received the email to your personal email address?
Thank you,
Kristin
Case Manager – Freedom of Information
• Integrity Projects & Freedom of Information • People, Governance, Parliamentary & Communication Division
P: 02 6274 6294 E:[email address]
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
OFFICIAL
Dear FOI,
Thank you very much for uploading the file in the Right to Know forum, I know it can be annoying, so I do very much appreciate your work here. I also would like to apologise for the gap in replies to the messages, I've just gotten back from work.
Unfortunately, I did not receive the forwarded emails to my personal address ([email address]). It's not a big deal, given the documents are accessible online now, but I figure it's worth passing that information on.
Your work is very much appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Pentland
Your email has been received by the FOI Coordinator for the Department of
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and
will be actioned appropriately.
If you are contacting us with a request under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the FOI Act), please be advised that we are working to confirm
the correct handling of this matter and will formally acknowledge your
request as soon as practicable with any next steps. You can expect this
contact to occur within 14 days of receipt of your email, in accordance
with paragraph 15(5)(a) of the FOI Act.
Thank you,
FOI Coordinator
Freedom of Information
Assurance, Integrity and Risk Branch
People, Governance, Parliamentary and Communication Division
E: [1][email address]
GPO Box 594 Canberra, ACT 2601
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
CONNECTING AUSTRALIANS • ENRICHING COMMUNITIES • EMPOWERING REGIONS
[2]infrastructure.gov.au [3]cid:image001.png@01D724A5.551E1E80
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/
3. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/departm...