AuDA and all,

On checking out www.ausregistry.com.au nine days prior to the new system
'going live', I was somewhat concerned to find their stated eligibility
requirements for .asn.au domains would exclude our association .. so I
dug through all this one more time; yes I've been keeping an eye on it!

I've reformatted most quotes below for mail readability:

from the current http://www.auda.org.au/register/
=======
  .asn.au
    Associations and Non-Profit Organisations
    The .asn.au domain serves for incorporated bodies, political parties,
    trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs, and partnerships
    between disparate organisations.
    Registrar: Connect West
=======

hunting back via http://www.auda.org.au/policy/panel-name-2000/
=======
  Name Policy Advisory Panel
    [..]
  Status

  The Panel's final recommendations were approved by the auDA Board on
  8 May 2001.  auDA aims to implement the Panel's recommendations by
  the end of the year. A full implementation plan and timetable will
  be published shortly.

  Panel Publications
    [..]
11 May 2001  Final Report on Domain Name eligibility and Allocation Criteria
=======

that is, http://www.auda.org.au/docs/auda-name-eligibility-final.html
=======
Table A: Purpose of Open 2LDs

asn.au  For 'associations'. Includes associations incorporated under
        specific state legislation, some incorporated bodies, political
        parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs and
        'partnerships' between disparate organisations.
=======

Now the table at http://www.ausregistry.com.au/domains/au.html also says:
=======
asn.au  For 'associations'. Includes associations incorporated under
        specific state legislation, some incorporated bodies, political
        parties, trade unions, sporting and special interest clubs and
        'partnerships' between disparate organisations.
=======

However, ignoring the graphics, the introductory .asn.au page at
http://www.ausregistry.com.au/domains/asnau.html states:
=======
        "joining the community"

  Who is eligible to register an .asn.au domain name?

  Strict policy ensures that only Australian incorporated associations,
  political parties, industry bodies and sporting interest groups are
  eligible for asn.au domain names.
=======

(end quotes)

The sentence above replaces AuDA's "sporting and special interest clubs"
with "sporting interest groups" which is a different (subset) of bodies
altogether, appearing to exclude NON-sporting special interest clubs,
including social clubs, common law unincorporated associations and other
bodies which are eligible given they can demonstrate legal acceptance.

AusRegistry's primary (only) definition (stated as "strict policy")
also omits AuDA's "partnerships between disparate organisations".

Perhaps AuDA might suggest some wording here that is not misleading,
especially for would-be new applicants who might read no further or
be none the wiser regarding the range of bodies eligible to licence
.asn.au domains?

Perhaps a link to the full AuDA Eligibility and Allocation Policy Rules
for (here eg) .asn.au, as qualified by the rules for all open 2LD, would
not go amiss, to save inordinate amounts of hunting (or discouragement) 
for the uninitiated? 

From the current http://www.auda.org.au/docs/auda-policy-rules.pdf
=======
1. To be eligible for a domain name in the asn.au 2LD, registrants must be:
 a) an association incorporated in any Australian State or Territory; or
 b) a political party registered with the Australian Electoral Commission; or
 c) a trade union or other organisation registered under the Workplace
    Relations Act 1996; or
 d) a sporting or special interest club operating in Australia.
=======

People with interest in .org.au might wish to scrutinise the description
at http://www.ausregistry.com.au/domains/orgau.html in similar vein?

Also and finally, from http://www.ausregistry.com.au/domains/idau.html
=======
  By registering an .id.au domain name Australian individuals can now be
  fully represented on the web. It is the only domain name that does not
  require the registrant to be a commercial entity.
=======

The latter sentence is also inaccurate - re both .asn.au and .org.au

Cheers, Ian