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Important Changes to .au Domain Names

Skills

Posted on

March 19, 2021

Changes to the org.au eligibility rules

On 12 April 2021 a new set of rules for the .au country code comes into effect. The new rules contain a range of changes which will affect some current registrants of org.au domain names- primarily, unincorporated associations.

 Defining a not-for-profit

To be eligible to register an org.au domain name you must be a not-for-profit organisation. The definition of a not-for-profit organisation has been updated.

This definition now contains 11 categories of eligible organisations:

  1. an Incorporated Association under State or Territory legislation;
  2. a Company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001
  3. a Non-distributing co-operative registered under State or Territory legislation;
  4. an Indigenous Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 and which appears on the Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations;
  5. a Registered Organisation that is:
    (a) an association of employers;
    (b) an association of employees (union); or
    (c) an enterprise association;
    registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 and which appears on the Register of Organisations;
  6. a Charitable trust endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient;
  7. a Non-trading cooperative under State or Territory legislation;
  8. a Public or Private Ancillary Fund endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient;
  9. an unincorporated association that appears on the Register of Charities established under the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission Act 2012;
  10. a Political Party registered under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, or State or Territory Electoral Act and which appears on the Register of Political Parties or as otherwise named; or
  11. Government, being either the Crown or a Commonwealth, State or Territory statutory agency.

The following kinds of organisations are new to this definition:

  • Indigenous corporations;
  • Co-operatives;
  • Registered state and territory political parties; and
  • Government, being either the Crown or a Commonwealth, State or Territory statutory agency.

Who is affected?

Unincorporated associations will be affected as, from 12 April 2021, they will no longer be eligible to use org.au domain names. However, registrants of org.au names using an unincorporated association as the basis for their eligibility may be still eligible for their org.au name if they meet the definition of a not-for-profit a different way.

If you’re unsure about what kind of entity your organisation is, a good place to start is by searching for your organisation on the ASIC registers or the Australian Business Register.