Tribune’s note

The Minister for Sport and Communications, Ms Wells, has opened public consultation on a package of reforms to modernise the National Classification Scheme, the most substantive proposed changes to content rating categories in recent years [TA-260323-infras-9c99f8c0f78d]. The proposed changes are drawn from recommendations by the Social Research Centre and Mettlesome and include three headline adjustments: introducing a new PG13 category to fill the gap between PG and M, lifting the MA threshold from MA15+ to MA16+, and strengthening classification information through clearer content descriptors and more detailed reasons for ratings decisions [TA-260323-infras-9c99f8c0f78d].

The consultation is open to both industry stakeholders and the general public and closes on 4 May 2026. Ms Wells framed the reform as aligning the classification framework with contemporary community expectations and equipping Australian families with better information to make their own content decisions [TA-260323-infras-9c99f8c0f78d]. The age-band adjustment from MA15+ to MA16+ is the most operationally significant of the proposed changes, shifting the threshold at which restricted content becomes accessible to minors.

No parliamentary activity was recorded for this minister on this date.

Primary records (1)

The official records this note draws on — the raw primary documents themselves, as published.

MediaShaping a modern National Classification SchemeAnika WellsMonday 23 March 2026