> 0-15000 domains registered      $1/domain
> 15,001-50,000 doms rego'd       $0.60/domain
> and so on.
> 
> So... initial costs for say .org.au are $15,000
> which comes to $1.91 for each domain and will then be (based on now
> figures) $7,841 per year

I believe you've got your figures wrong: there is another $11 per domain
fee that you've missed out.  Quoting from private email I sent to auDA
last week, I said:

"The annual fees per domain name are in total $12, and the application
fee is $15000.  There are currently roughly 520 .id.au domain names.
Let's say that we want to cover our costs only.  Let's assume that we
can take out an interest-free loan repayable over three years (unlikely,
but work with me on this!).  Let's assume that the size of the .id.au
domain space will increase by 20 per year.  Our variable costs are $12
per year per domain name.  Let's do some maths:

First year - ($5000 + ($12 * 520)) / 520 = $21.82
Second year - ($5000 + ($12 * 624)) / 624 = $20.01
Third year - ($5000 + ($12 * 749)) / 749 = $18.67
Average - $20.17

Adding in the administration costs that are mandated by the RFT such as
insurance and the like, about $25 per annum per .id.au domain name would
have to be charged.  That may not sound like much but for a non-profit
domain space which, along with .org.au and .asn.au, has up until now
been operated for free for the benefit of the non-profit Internet
community, this is an impost which I know a great many people would like
to avoid now being imposed."

Now $25 per year would probably be unobjectionable but the problem is
that for people who would want to administer such a service on a
basically voluntary basis they are required to come up with $15000 up
front.  You will note that this only gives them a four year window to
recoup the cost.  So I think we need to take some action with a two-
pronged approach:

(a) ideally, auDA provide subsidize to allow for non-profit voluntary
    registries to administer the .asn.au, .org.au and .id.au spaces so
    that those registrations can continue to be offered for free; or

(b) alternatively, that greater allowances be made for community-based
    domain registries so that they are not shut out altogether by the
    enormity of a $15000 up-front fee.

There are a couple of things that people are already doing about this. 
Adrian Chadd is probably going to announce soon (or if he doesn't I
will) a forum that we have set up to lobby in respect of these issues. 
There is a Web page and a mailing list so far, but I'll leave it to
Adrian to announce them (or email me privately).  Second, I have been
planning for a couple of weeks to nominate for the auDA board to provide
a voice on these issues, and I have to pull my finger out because
nominations close tomorrow. :-)

What I had previously been saying in the nomination statement was, "I
believe that the Board requires a voice for the retention of free domain
names for individuals and non-profit organisations in the .id.au,
.org.au and .asn.au 2LDs. [...snip waffle self-promotion...]  I believe
non-profit groups and individuals are disadvantaged by moves favouring a
commercial model of domain name management over the voluntary,
grass-roots participative ethic that has endured to date."  I've toned
it down since then, to admit that option (b) is a second-preference
outcome.

Although I've got feet in both camps (commercial and non-commercial
Internet users), I think the forces leading the commercialisation of
domain-name administration underestimate the strength of opinion amongst
long-time Internet users who do still comprise a significant proportion
of those administering, managing and providing content for Internet
services in Australia.  Yes we are (and I am) at fault for not putting
these views strongly enough or at all during the consultation process,
but in my view nothing is set in stone and it is not too late to turn
back the tide.

-- 
JEREMY MALCOLM <Jeremy&#167;Malcolm.wattle.id.au> http://malcolm.wattle.id.au
Providing online networks of Australian lawyers (http://www.ilaw.com.au)
and Linux experts (http://www.linuxconsultants.com.au) for instant help!
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