Review of Australia’s .au domain management

Listen

We are seeking feedback on the management of the .au domain to ensure it remains fit for purpose in serving the needs of Australians online.

Why we want your input

We are committed to working closely with stakeholders on internet governance and want to hear from you to ensure the management of the .au top-level domain remains fit for purpose in serving the needs of Australians online.

How you can voice your opinion

You can provide a written submission in response to our discussion paper.

What will be the outcome of this consultation?

Your feedback will help us identify the appropriate framework for the management of the .au top-level domain.

The Issue

The terms of the Australian Government’s endorsement of the .au Domain Administration (auDA) as the appropriate entity to administer Australia’s top-level domain (.au) on behalf of Australian internet users were established in 2000.

Since that time the digital landscape has changed significantly and it’s important to ensure the management of the .au domain remains fit for purpose.

The review will examine and make recommendations on:

the most appropriate framework for the management of the .au top level domain
how to ensure that Government and community expectations inform auDA’s operation and decision-making, and
mitigation strategies to address future risks to the security and stability of .au.

We will consider written submissions in response to the discussion paper. We expect to report outcomes of the review to the Minister for Communications in early 2018.

Relevant Documentation

Review of Australia’s .au domain management - Discussion paper

Published 16th Nov 2017

Download PDF (393.02 KB) Download DOC (850.27 KB)

Discussion paper for Review of Australia’s .au domain management.

Outcome

We have completed the review of the management of .au domain by the .au Domain Administration (auDA) and released a report on the findings.

The Government has agreed to all 29 recommendations made in the report.

The review’s key finding is that the current management framework is no longer fit-for-purpose. The report recommends reforming auDA’s management framework to support improved transparency, stakeholder engagement, consultation and accountability.

To implement the recommendations, the Minister for Communications has issued new Terms of Endorsement. We will work closely with auDA to develop a public implementation plan to outline how it will respond to the review’s recommendations.

The review also establishes a reporting framework which will require auDA to report transparently on its performance, including against the recommendations of the review.

Find out more: