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Look out blogosphere, here we come!

After much internal anticipation, research and writing, we are happy to launch our very own blog next month! With a prospective launch date of Friday, October 15, 2021, be sure to keep an eye out on our socials for the announcement of our very first blog post.   

As an organisation that operates for the benefit of the Internet and the people who build and operate it, we have decided that a monthly blog post providing an expert opinion on hot topics relating to the Internet would greatly benefit members.   

If you haven’t already, connect with us on our social media channels: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to get all the latest blog posts, share your thoughts on the topic, and let us know which topics you would like us to cover.   

Open Submissions

September’s Advocacy Corner Update

Submissions that may be of interest to members include:

Review of Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Violent Abhorrent Violent Material) (AVM) Act 2019 | 15 October 2021 

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement is enquiring into the effectivity of the AVM Act 2019, which was passed following the Christchurch terrorist attack. The AVM Act enforces that internet, hosting or content services proactively need to communicate to law enforcement that abhorrent violent material is accessible on their networks and work to ensure it is inaccessible in Australia. This inquiry will specifically focus on whether the AVM Act has helped reduce the misuse of online platforms, whether the powers given to the eSafety Commissioner and the federal police are appropriate and consider the definition of ‘violent abhorrent material.’ 

Telstra Migration Plan | 21 October 2021 

Telstra submitted a proposed variation to the ACCC adjusting the plan for the shutdown of legacy copper services occurring as part of the migration to NBN. Changes include amendments to the management disconnection arrangements in unit common areas, to differentiate between private and public payphones, to expand Telstra’s authority for reconnecting copper or hybrid fibre coaxial services if required and to extend for managed disconnections for premises not serviceable by NBN yet. After submissions close, the ACCC will make a decision on the proposed changes offered by Telstra.   

If you have any comments or would like to find additional information about the above, please email us at policy@internet.asn.au

 

International Smile Day 2021

Happy international smile day! To mark this day, we would like to share with you a snippet from one of our newsletters in ’97 about the use of emoticons.

April 1997
EMOTICONS

———

These are “emotion icons” and are used to convey feelings in such things as email and postings to newsgroups, just to name a few. The standard smiley : ) usually conveys happy bright feelings with
whatever was said. For instance, Australians seem to use insults to convey how much they like someone, but when used in email, especially if being read by someone who is feeling a bit niggley, “you old so and so” can be taken as a real insult. The addition of a smiley, “you old so and so. : – )” lets the reader know how the other person intended the email to read.

Then there are these <G> or *G* for a “grin” or sometimes even <grynne> and yet again, these <BG> <EG> <VEG> <VBG> representing big grin, evil grin, very evil grin, and a very big grin. I even know of someone who might qualify for <VBEG> – a very big evil grin.

Other emoticons are: : – D laughing, : – 7 wry, : – > sarcastic, : – P cheeky, ; – ) winking, : – o shocked. There are many variations, and experimentation can produce some pretty clever comments in themselves.

Annette

:) :-D :P

Transition to a Company Limited by Guarantee

We are pleased to announce that members of the Association voted to support the proposed transition to a company limited by guarantee at the Special General Meeting held Wednesday 28 July 2021.

The process of deregistration from the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) has been authorised by the WA regulator, and we have submitted the paperwork to register under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) as a company limited by guarantee.

We would like to say a special thank you to all the members that contributed to this process, providing input through our various member consultations and workshops, taking the time to vote and attend the meeting.

SGM Results

The Internet Association of Australia is pleased to announce that it will transition to a company limited by guarantee.

Members of the Association voted to support the transition at the Special General Meeting held Wednesday 28 July 2021.

This means we will be governed by the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and become a company limited by guarantee. The transition reflects the national growth the Association has undergone over recent years and now represents members across Australia.

A special thank you to all the members that contributed to this process, providing input through our various member consultations and workshops, taking the time to vote and attend the meeting.

Happy Birthday WA-IX

This month marks the 24th year of operation of WA-IX, our first internet exchange. Still going strong, and now operating out of six different data centres in Perth after its humble beginnings in QV1. Were you one of the early adopters? We’d love to send you a thank you if you were! We have some lovely mouse mats showing our expansion in all its glory. Email admin@internet.asn.au and tell us your origin story at WA-IX.

 

Notice of Special General Meeting of Members – Wednesday 28 July 2021

The Internet Association of Australia Inc (IAA) would like to thank all members who have participated in our consultation on whether to transition to a company limited by guarantee. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

The IAA Board remains in favour of the transition and it has resolved to convene the Special General Meeting referred to below.

The Board of the Internet Association of Australia Inc hereby gives notice of a Special General Meeting to give members the opportunity to vote on the two (2) special resolutions set out below in connection with the proposal to transition IAA’s registration (association number A1004987S) from an incorporated Association under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) to a company limited by guarantee under Part 5B.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Special General Meeting
Date: Wednesday 28 July 2021
Time: 3:00pm AWST / 5:00pm AEST
Location: Arnotts Technology Lawyers of Level 2, 151 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Members may attend in person or via Zoom (Video Conference)
Link for Zoom registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/IAASGM

The following resolutions will be proposed as special resolutions at the Special General Meeting:

1. Lodgement of application for registration. Members are asked to consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolution as a special resolution:

That in view of the dispersed and Australia-wide nature of the operations of the Internet Association of Australia Inc (registration number A1004987S), an application be made in accordance with section 93 of the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) and regulation 14 of the Associations Incorporation Regulations 2016 (WA) for it to apply for registration as a prescribed body corporate under Part 5B.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and an application be made under Part 5B.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) for  the Internet Association of Australia Inc to apply for registration as a company limited by guarantee with the proposed name of “Internet Association of Australia Ltd”.

2. Approve a constitution for the company. Members are asked to consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolution as a special resolution:

That the constitution, tabled at the special general meeting of the Internet Association of Australia Inc held on 28 July 2021 and initialled by the chair of the special general meeting for the purpose of identification (a copy of which was attached to the notice of the special general meeting), be approved for adoption as the constitution of the company “Internet Association of Australia Ltd”, with the adoption of the constitution to take effect subject to and from when the Australian Securities and Investments Commission registers the company under Part 5B.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), at which point the constitution shall completely replace the existing rules of the Internet Association of Australia Inc and which shall cease to apply from that date.

Hyperlink to proposed Constitution:  https://www.internet.asn.au/IAA-Ltd-proposed-Constitution-2021.pdf

Members may vote on the above special resolutions in one of the following ways:

A copy of Rule 50 is available at the following hyperlink: https://www.internet.asn.au/IAA-Rules.pdf

Please review your voting contact information in the portal to ensure this information is up to date.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email secretary@internet.asn.au.

Updating our Governance

Last month we kicked off a program of work to update our governance and to consult with members over whether we should move to registration under federal law. We held a consultation event where members were taken through the differences between WA Associations Law and Federal Corporations Law. We released a discussion paper and have some good feedback from members and have now established a working party to generate a draft constitution for discussion.

Please keep an eye on our web page on Updating our Governance as we will post updates there, as well as email voting contacts for input along the way.

Updating Our Governance

IAA is currently an association incorporated under Western Australian law – the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) – reflecting our origin as the Western Australia Internet Association, and this was a suitable way to become a legal entity. When the association changed its name to the Internet Association of Australia we remained incorporated under the WA Act.

As IAA has grown substantially and now represents the interests of corporate, professional and affiliate members across Australia, the IAA Board believes it is appropriate to consider transferring our incorporation to Commonwealth law (Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) and become a company limited by guarantee. Should we do this we would remain a not-for-profit entity, with our main office in Perth, and ensure we retain all the important aspects of our current rules.

It is often argued that state-based laws are effective but that they best suit local associations who are of limited scale. Once an organisation grows it may be better regulated by federal law which has stricter, Australia-wide rules and systems with greater resources. For example, there is one Commissioner and a small team in the WA government, whereas federally a whole department (ASIC) exists, there are many sources of independent expertise, and a wide range of training available on corporations’ law.

We are therefore commencing a process of member consultation with a view to briefing our members on current issues we have encountered and canvas member perspectives on any transition. An FAQ and briefing paper are being prepared which will be presented at the upcoming consultation to be held:

Date: Wednesday 7th April, 2021
Time: 3pm AWST/5pm AEST
Location: Zoom (online)

Members can register via Zoom

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