Australian Capital Territory Considering Independently Adopting R18+ Rating

The Australian Capital Territory has joined South Australia in planning to adopt an R18+ rating if the federal government does not reach a nation-wide consensus this July. ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell has begun making plans with his department to prepare for the introduction of an R18+ rating, and is evaluating the ways in which the territory will change the current rating system, reports GameSpot AU. "Simply accepting that there wouldn't be R18+ would be a ludicrous situation. [If this doesn't happen] we would have to consider going it alone and legislating for R18+," Corbell told GameSpot. South Australia Attorney-General John Rau suggested yesterday that if the federal government does not reach a consensus, his territory will introduce an R18+ rating, abolishing the current MA15+ rating, and all titles with the old label will fall under R18+. Corbell notes, however that ACT "wouldn't necessarily follow South Australia down that path," and may keep the MA15+ label even if it introduces the new rating. While South Australia has made its plan clear if the federal government doesn't reach a decision, ACT has yet to decide whether the territory will pursue legislation or regulation to enforce the new rating. Australia's six state attorney generals will convene this July to decide if the new rating system will affect the entire nation, or whether each state will have to adopt the rating on its own.