The new body has been established on the basis of broad community participation and consultation. In the early days of the Internet, rules were developed informally, and with the rough consensus of the participants. As the Internet grows in scope, more formal structures are required to manage online public assets, such as the .au name space.
Some Internet users assume that .au is managed by the government.
Business users of the Internet in particular, will welcome the participative self-regulation structure of auDA that will provide a solid policy basis for the allocation of domain names and allow for competitive services in the registration of domains. Although many everyday Internet users would not be aware of it, the efficient operation of domain names is critical to the operation of the Internet. The new body will allow a coordinated regulation process for these names which is bound to the technical requirements of the Internet. Dr Lance congratulated those early pioneers who helped build the Internet into a highly successful and valuable community resource. Dr Lance also welcomed the positive role of Minister Alston and the National Office of the Information Economy in supporting the establishment of auDA although she was concerned at the lack of government financial assistance during the establishment phase.