Consulting on whether .nz should be opened up

The .nz Domain Name Commission (note I am a director of it) is consulting on a revised proposal to allow registrants to register .nz domain names at the second level (anyname.nz) rather than only the third level (anyname.2ld.nz).

A major concern expressed by some submitters was that existing registrants could feel “forced” to incur extra costs in registering anyname.nz on top of their existing anyname.co.nz name.  To mitigate this issue, DNCL is proposing that existing registrants be able to reserve registration of the equivalent of their current name at the second level (for no cost for at least two years).   DNCL believes this modified proposal delivers significant benefits to registrants without disadvantaging those who do not wish to use a name at the second level.  There are also other changes to the proposal following the initial consultation.

If you’re interested in this issue, I encourage you to make a submission at the above link.