Internet Society of Australia
A Chapter of the Internet Society
ABN 36 076 406 801

Executive Director's Report 2009

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

This year, ISOC-AU held a reception for the ISOC President and CEO Lynn St 
Amour, to coincide with the ICANN meeting in Sydney in June. The meeting, 
generously hosted by Maddocks, included other ISOC staff attending the 
ICANN and provided ISOC-AU members and guests with an opportunity to hear 
of ISOC goals and strategies, and meet with ISOC global staff. 
ISOC-AU also held a dinner for Rajnesh  Singh, Chairman Pacific Islands 
Chapter, Internet Society and ISOC's Regional Manager for South and 
Southeast Asia 

DIRECTORS' ACTIVITIES

The Directors held two face-to-face strategy meetings this year - the 
first in March and the second in May.  The meetings reviewed progress 
against Strategic Plan Goals, including ISOC-AU relationships both 
internationally (with ISOC and ISOC Chapters particularly) and nationally, 
input into relevant national and international policy debates, increasing 
awareness of ISOC-AU and strengthening our funding base.  Progress on 
achieving the goals is reviewed at each Board meeting.

Directors have attended numerous meetings during the year both 
internationally and nationally. Internationally, Directors participated in 
the ICANN meetings in Cairo, Mexico and Sydney and the IGF meeting in 
Hyderabad. 

Nationally, Directors met with the Minister of Broadband, Communications 
and the Digital Economy (DBCDE), attended meetings convened by the 
Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA), the Australian 
Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) board, the Telstra Consumer 
Consultative Council, the Communications Alliance Consumer Council, the au 
Domain Administration Board, au Community Domains, the National ICT 
Industry Alliance, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.   The 
Executive Director and another Director also gave evidence of a Senate 
Select Committee on the National Broadband Network and met with 
representatives from Prime Minister and Cabinet on the ALRC review of the 
Privacy Act 1988. 

ISOC-AU has also become involved in aspects of e-security, participating 
in the Government's e-security awareness week planning and its 'Over the 
Horizon' event.  ISOC-AU is also a member of the Australian Computer 
Society e-security taskforce that, as its first task, developed responses 
to the government's Internet filtering trials. ISOC-AU is also a member of 
the working group developing the IIA e-security code of practice.
 
DBCDE FUNDED ACTIVITIES

ISOC-AU received DBCDE funding under the Telecommunications Consumer 
Representation Grants program. Under that funding, ISOC-AU held three 
meetings. The first meeting was held in Fremantle jointly with the 
Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association, on 'Broadband Availability: 
Using Broadband and the Internet'. The meeting included presentations by 
representatives of Telstra and Westnet, and included wide ranging 
discussion on the way participants used broadband and the Internet.  The 
second meeting was held in Melbourne on 'National Broadband Network: What 
It Will Mean For You'. 

The meeting included presentations on the Government's proposed NBN, the
technical issues involved and issued raised by an NBN for consumers,
service providers and the industry.  The third meeting was held on Sydney
on 'Unacceptable Content on the Internet: What Problem? Whose solution?'
The meeting began with a panel of speakers and included discussion on the
government's proposals on internet filtering and other issues on Internet
content. 

SUBMISSIONS

ISOC-AU made a submission to auDA on competition policy and jointly with 
auDA to DBCDE on IPv6 readiness, on NBN issues to the DBCDE Expert Task 
force and later, on Regulatory reform for the NBN and to the Senate Select 
Committee Inquiry on the NBN, to ICANN on Domain Name Tasting Expiry and 
amendments to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement, to the US NTIA 
Inquiry on the Joint Project Agreement between ICANN and the NTIA, and to 
the Australian Law Reform Commission on its recommendations arising from 
its review of the Privacy Act 1988.

SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

Our Platinum sponsor Cisco has very generously continued its support for 
the next year.  Google has also very generously continued their support of 
ISOC-AU as a Silver sponsor. Our Enterprise and Foundation members are 
also valued supporters of ISOC-AU.  We also very much appreciate the 
important in-kind support from Maddocks, Optus, and PPS.

ADMINISTRATION

The Directors would like to formally record their gratitude for the work 
of the Honorary President Tony Hill, the Honorary Vice President Narelle 
Clark, the Honorary Secretary Kevin Karp and the Honorary Treasurer Cheryl 
Langdon-Orr.
 
Holly Raiche
ED, ISOC-AU