Letter from Senator Richard Alston to Greg Watson (auDA) (31 December 2000)

Australia

SENATOR THE HON RICHARD ALSTON
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate

Mr Greg Watson
Chairman
.au Domain Administration
PO Box 2498
FITZROY BC VIC 3065

Dear Mr Watson

Thank you for your letter of 13 October 2000 to the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) including the comprehensive report detailing the response of the au Domain Administration (auDA) to the objectives that the Government has established for the proposed self-regulatory regime for the au domain space.

After considering auDA's report and the information contained therein, it gives me great pleasure to communicate to you the endorsement of the Commonwealth of Australia (the Commonwealth) of auDA as the appropriate to hold the delegation of authority by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for administrative authority of the au country code top level domain (ccTLD).

The Commonwealth's endorsement of auDA as the appropriate entity to hold the delegation of authority for administration of the au ccTLD is subject at all times to auDA
operating within the provisions of its company constitution and to the fulfilment by auDA of the following conditions:

• Given that the Internet naming system is a public resource in the sense that its functions must be administered in the public or common interest, auDA recognises
  that the management and administration of the au ccTLD are subject to the ultimate authority of the Commonwealth of Australia;
• auDA agrees to abide by ICANN developed policies, and to ensure the payment of its contribution to ICANN's cost of operation;
• If there is a reassignment of the delegation of authority for administration of the au ccTLD from auDA to another party, auDA agrees to cooperate and comply with the
  requirements of the Commonwealth and/or ICANN in order to effect the transfer and redelegation of authority for the au ccTLD;

This letter does not provide any party with rights against the Commonwealth, should the Commonwealth decide as a matter of policy on later arrangements for the au ccTLD.

As the Commonwealth's endorsement of auDA in this capacity is dependent upon auDA's agreement of the terms outlined in this letter, auDA's agreement to these terms should be signified by signing both copies of this letter, and returning one signed copy to NOIE (marked for the attention of Ms Nikki Vajrabukka) at:

National Office for the Information Economy
GPO Box 2154
Canberra City ACT 2601

Following auDA's acceptance of the terms outlined in this letter, the Commonwealth will notify ICANN of its endorsement of auDA as the appropriate entity to hold the delegation of authority for administration of the au domain space. If requested by auDA, the Commonwealth will pursue with ICANN a reassignment of administrative
authority for the au ccTLD from the current delegated administrator, Mr Robert EIz, to auDA.

I commend auDA on its achievements to date, and look forward to continuing the sound working relationship which has developed between the Commonwealth and
auDA.

Yours sincerely

/s/
RICHARD ALSTON
Minister for Communications,
Information Technology and the Arts