Appointments to Net Alert Board

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, today announced the new membership of the Net Alert Board. The new Board includes the reappointment of the Chair and four existing Directors, together with the appointment of two new Directors.

The seven member Board is made up of industry, legal, community and educational representatives from around the country. Ms Karyn Hart has agreed to continue as NetAlert Chair.

Senator Alston welcomed new board members, Ms Barbara Etter and Mr Mike Nermut who will bring valuable skills and experience to the NetAlert Board. In addition, Senator Alston extended his thanks to the outgoing Directors for their hard work and contributions to the Government's Internet safety strategy during their time on the Board.

In the 2003-04 Federal Budget, NetAlert was allocated a further $2 million for the three years to 2005-06. Going forward, the Australian Government has decided to consolidate the role and functions of NetAlert to more clearly focus the organisation on the protection of children in the online environment and research into filtering and related technologies.

The challenge facing NetAlert is to help minimise the risks of Internet access, particularly for children and their families, while not discouraging Australians from realising the benefits of going online.

The Government established NetAlert in December 1999 as part of its commitment to educating communities about managing access to Internet content. Among other things, NetAlert researches access management technologies and runs national awareness campaigns to promote a safer Internet experience.

Since its inception, NetAlert has undertaken a range of activities to promote Internet safety, including:
• a toll-free national help line and email advisory service;

• an industry liaison program to advise the Internet industry of its rights and obligations under the Government's online content regulatory scheme;

• a broad Internet safety education campaign that has included establishing an information website, and conducting regional forums and advertising campaigns on Internet safety;

• an information resources program with fact sheets on issues relating to Internet safety and commissioned research into filtering software; and

• consultation on Internet industry codes and standards prior to their registration by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

Full details of the NetAlert Directors and the organisation's objects and powers is attached.

Media contact: David Quilty 02 6277 7480 or 0419 421 803
Website: http://www.dcita.gov.au/Home/0,,0_4-2_4008,00.html

Background information-NetAlert Board Directors

All appointments are until 30 June 2006.

Ms Karyn Hart has been Chair of NetAlert since its commencement. Ms Hart has extensive experience in the education sector, currently principal of Macgregor State High School in Queensland. She is Chair of the National Advisory Committee on School Drugs Education and has been President of the Australian and Queensland Secondary School Principals' Associations. Ms Hart is based in Brisbane, Queensland.

Mr Peter Coroneos, as the Chief Executive of the Internet Industry Association (IIA), has been involved in the development of the Internet industry codes of practice and has been an active member of many committees and advisory councils. These include the Privacy Advisory Committee, the Consultative Group on Protecting Australia's Critical Information Infrastructure and the Tax Commissioner's Consultative Committee (eForum) on Electronic Commerce. Mr Coroneos is based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

Ms Kaaren Koomen is chair of the IIA's content task force, and Group Manager of Multimedia Regulation and Strategy at Optus. Prior to joining Optus, she was Manager of online services regulation at the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), a lawyer and a lecturer in law at Charles Sturt University. Ms Koomen is based in Sydney, New South Wales.

Ms Bernadette McMenamin is a National Director of End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking (ECPAT). She has experience in social work and was awarded an Australian Human Rights Award in 1996. She is also currently a member of the national steering committee developing Australia's National Action Plan to Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Children. Ms McMenamin is based in Melbourne, Victoria.

Mr Derek Whitehead OAM is currently Director of Information Services at Swinburne University of Technology and chair of auDA Names Policy Advisory Panel. He has 25 years experience with the State Library of Victoria, including as Deputy State Librarian. He has been a member of the ABA's Task Force of Children and the Internet, in addition to a number of online information committees. Mr Whitehead is based in Melbourne, Victoria.

The new appointments to NetAlert are Ms Barbara Etter and Mr Mike Nermut.

Ms Barbara Etter is currently a Commander within the Northern Territory Police and is on secondment as Director of the Australasian Centre for Policing Research. She has degrees in law, pharmacy and business administration, and has been admitted as a legal practitioner/barrister. Ms Etter has been involved with policing for nearly 20 years, and her areas of expertise include e-crime, victims of crime, law reform, forensic science and cross-cultural issues. Ms Etter is based in Adelaide, South Australia.

Mr Mike Nermut is currently Director of Dytech Solutions, a Tasmanian-based IT company specialising in software consultancy. He has been a software engineer for a number of software firms including Horizon Technologies International Pty Ltd, Nojee Software Pty Ltd and GBC Scientific Equipment. He has a background in technology as a software architect and systems programmer. Mr Nermut is based in Hobart, Tasmania.

Background information-NetAlert's objects and powers

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, has consolidated the objects and powers of NetAlert to more clearly focus the organisation on child safety online and to research existing filtering and related technologies. The objects and powers are as follows.

Objects

NetAlert's objects are to promote a safer Internet experience, particularly for young people and their families, and in particular to:

1. provide users with sensible, helpful and reliable advice and information about potential problems, dangers and threats present on the Internet and ways in which users can act to minimise or avoid these problems;

2. develop and promote information on existing technological solutions that assist users and the Internet industry to better manage Internet content;

3. work closely with Commonwealth and state agencies, particularly the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the Internet industry and community organisations in order to promote Internet safety;

4. maintain an active awareness of Internet content and take appropriate action on prohibited and potentially prohibited content, including operating an email and telephone advisory services to receive concerns about offensive material and pass any appropriate information to the Australian Broadcasting Authority and relevant law enforcement agencies; and

5. consult with industry bodies on the development of effective draft industry codes that promote and support the Company's objects and promote industry compliance with the online scheme.

Powers

NetAlert has the powers set out in the law to do all things that are necessary, convenient or incidental to carry out the above objects including:

1. initiating research into filtering and adult verification technologies for Internet Service Providers, Internet content hosts and their clients;

2. ensuring that parents and other concerned Australians are easily able to make contact with NetAlert in order to report or complain about prohibited content, potentially prohibited content or other inappropriate Internet content;

3. embarking on public awareness and education campaigns to raise public awareness of ways in which parents and other concerned Australians can improve the management of the Internet to create a safer web experience; and

4. becoming a designated body under clause 58 of Schedule 5 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and provide quality feedback on any industry codes or industry standards.
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