To Whom It May Concern

Since the One City One Site (OCOS) Working Party presented its visionary model for both the 
protection of and effective community use of geographic names, the Office of Information and 
Communications Technology (OICT) has been openly supportive of the model, which was approved 
by the auDA board in November 2002, (pending full policy development, testing and 
implementation).  

It was through OICT, as a NSW government agency, and my membership on the 2002 auDA Advisory 
Panel for new 2LDs that the NSW government offered to host the pilot project to ensure the 
development of this new and important name space took place as the OCOS Working Party envisaged. 
OICT did this through the commitment of resources in full partnership with auDA through the One 
City One Site Pilot Project, which is currently underway.

As a partner in this pilot project with auDA, I must convey my concern over the auDA’s 
consideration and hence, current public consultation, on the release of geographic names in the 
.com.au and .net.au name spaces.  

I maintain that any release of geographic names in .com.au and .net.au will add to public 
confusion adversely affecting the extremely positive potential of the OCOS model and the new 
name space.  Such a move will diminish the value of geographic names in all name spaces, create 
opportunities for misuse, lead to unnecessary increases in litigation and will endanger the new 
name space network, limiting its potential before it is given sufficient time to be implemented 
and established.  Overall, this would have a predominantly negative impact on all Australian 
communities and entities, who as a group (a community). I believe there are the rightful 
custodians of these names.

To ensure maximum benefits and outcomes from the One City One Site Pilot Project, I strongly 
recommend against the release of geographic names in the .com.au and .net.au name spaces.  It is 
a critical time in the development and establishment of the One City One Site Model and the new 
name space, which we are all aware is a world first model with enormous potential.  

I urge the auDA Board to continue their commitment to the new name space by not releasing 
geographic names in .com.au and .net.au.

Yours Sincerely




Robert Wheeler
Deputy Director General
Office of Information and Communications Technology
Department of Commerce