InternetNZ Annual Report 2024–2025

Kua raranga tahi tātou he whāriki ipurangi mō āpōpō 

Together, we have woven a digital mat for the future. 

— Takawai Murphy (Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Hinekura), January 2017.

It is my pleasure to present this Annual Report for the 2024–2025 year — my first as Chairperson of the Board of InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa.

I began this term as President and now serve as Chairperson. In writing this report, I note how this small change in title reflects much larger changes we have navigated this year.

I first discovered InternetNZ in the early days, not long after its formation, when the “world wide web” was still new and the future unclear but full of promise. The landscape has changed dramatically since then. We now live in a fully interconnected world, and InternetNZ plays a vital role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s digital infrastructure, with over 750,000 .nz domain names under management. Our DNS servers manage hundreds of millions of queries each day, emphasising our collective responsibility to maintain the security and reliability of this critical infrastructure for all New Zealanders. 

I am pleased to report that we concluded the 2024–2025 financial year in a strong position, laying a solid foundation for future growth and community impact. 

One of our most significant undertakings throughout 2024-2025 was the constitutional review and its consultation process. This work was built on over 18 months of planning, reflection, and engagement across the organisation and the broader community. We aimed to modernise our governance, strengthen our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and align our structure with best practices for a contemporary, membership-led organisation. 

The consultation process prompted a surge in engagement, with membership growing twelvefold, from 372 to 4,699. It sparked passionate debate, public interest, and at times, strong opposition. Despite this, over 80% of Eligible Members who voted, endorsed the new Constitution on 31 March 2025. 

This was a defining moment for InternetNZ: formalising our direction and renewing our mandate for inclusive, future-focused governance. I acknowledge the dedication of our Board and staff who managed the surge in interest while keeping daily operations on track. 

To our new members, welcome. Your voices strengthen us, and I look forward to your involvement in what's next. 

Centring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our work has been both a strategic and personal priority this year. The new Constitution has strengthened this commitment by formally embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our governance framework. In the coming year, we will define a clear vision of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for InternetNZ and outline practical steps to achieve it. We understand that meaningful cultural change takes time, but we are committed to it. 

Despite a challenging year, we remained focused on our core mission: maintaining a thriving .nz domain space for all New Zealanders. We continued delivering on our three-year product strategy to keep .nz reliable, resilient, and secure, resuming regular policy development, resolving conflicted domain names, and updating the .nz rules to ensure a fair and future-ready domain environment. 

I am proud that we continue to provide significant funding to communities, distributing just under $1 million to support our strategic partners in the digital equity ecosystem and digital equity initiatives across Aotearoa. 

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Deputy Chair Anjum Rahman for her steady support and wise counsel; to my predecessor Joy Liddicoat for leaving InternetNZ in such a strong position; and to every InternetNZ and Domain Name Commission Board member for their guidance throughout a year of change. 

Special thanks go to our Tumu Whakarae Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn, for her leadership in advancing our strategy and ensuring smooth delivery across the organisation. To our dedicated staff, your adaptability and commitment made growth and reform possible without compromising our mission. And to our members, partners, and stakeholders: your engagement keeps us grounded in the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve. We sincerely value your trust and support. 

It’s an honour to serve as your Chairperson. As the Internet continues to evolve, so do we. We move into the year ahead with momentum and a renewed sense of optimism. 

Stephen Judd

Heamana | Chairperson 

Welcome to the 2024–2025 Annual Report. It’s been a busy and productive 12 months for InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa. 

I’m proud that we made huge strides in achieving our strategic goals and operating the .nz domain based on world-class standards. 

We began 2024-2025 with our strategic goals and budget in place and approved. This early clarity gave teams a focused roadmap and the resources to create momentum in the work programme throughout the year. 

We maintained a thriving and resilient .nz by strengthening the cryptographic ‘locks’ that keep every .nz website safe and reliable. Our Domain Name System infrastructure performed flawlessly and rollovers occurred on schedule and without incident. We completed the .nz Rules review for 2024-2025 and finalised the pathway for the Conflicted Names project — all core operational milestones that reinforce our commitment to maintaining a secure and trusted country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). Our marketing efforts have started to come to fruition with the JumpStarter website now live as a proactive campaign to drive awareness and uptake of .nz web addresses. 

I am immensely proud of our continued support to Internet communities through our funding and grants, successfully distributing just under $1 million this year. We also tested a community-led participatory grants process, and secured the Board’s commitment to a sustainable funding model that will smooth annual disbursements over time. 

Our Internet Insights research ran for a ninth consecutive year, and cemented our reputation as New Zealand’s go-to source for Internet trends. While many trends remained consistent with previous years, we continued to observe a decline in the perceived positive benefits of the Internet from New Zealanders. 

InternetNZ continues to be a strong international voice, ensuring New Zealand’s perspectives are reflected in, and contribute to, global Internet governance. Over the past year, we played a central role in the secretariat of A Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM), contributed to the World Summit on the Information Society +20 review, and maintained active representation at key forums including ICANN, APNIC, and APTLD. Domestically, our growing presence at relevant sector forums such as NZNOG is strengthening our connection with the local technical community. 

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to our overall strategy at InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa. While we are not a Treaty partner, as a community organisation in Aotearoa, we are — and can increasingly be — active participants in upholding and supporting its intent and principles. This year, we introduced Ngā Pae, our operational framework to guide InternetNZ in building a culturally competent organisation. It outlines how we will engage with Te Tiriti in ways that are meaningful to us as a community organisation and relevant to Māori as Tangata Whenua. 

Throughout the year, we also supported the planning and groundwork for Kauwaka te Ipurangi 2025, the inaugural national Māori hui on Internet governance, led by the Māori community and hosted by Te Komiti Whakauru Māori. The process itself demonstrated our commitment to fostering space for Māori leadership and co-design in the digital realm. 

At the end of the 2024–2025 year, our members ratified the new Constitution at a Special General Meeting, bringing into effect modernised governance structures aligned with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. The constitutional review was one of the most demanding and defining pieces of work we undertook this year. It required close coordination among staff, legal advisers, and governance leads — ensuring the process was sound, inclusive, and responsive in real time. We experienced an unprecedented increase in public attention and membership engagement, particularly in the lead-up to the Special General Meeting. To all new members who joined throughout this process, thank you and welcome. Your voice matters, and we look forward to engaging you in the work of InternetNZ. 

None of this year's achievements would have been possible without the skill, agility, and dedication of our incredible staff. They have worked with focus and commitment to excellence, keeping the wheels turning through an exceptionally challenging year. I am immensely grateful for their mahi. I would also like to thank the Board and Chairperson Stephen Judd for their guidance and support throughout this transformative year. 

To stay informed, please sign up for our dotNews newsletter. In the meantime, take a closer look at the highlights and milestones we’ve achieved throughout 2024–2025. 

Happy reading! Tēnā tātou katoa, 

Vivien Maidaborn 

Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive 

InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa is an independent not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand responsible for managing the .nz country code Top-Level domain (ccTLD) on behalf of Aotearoa New Zealand. We ensure domain names ending in .nz are trusted, secure, and accessible — not just for New Zealand, but for people and businesses around the world. 

We hold the delegation to manage .nz from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and operate under a Registry Agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global body that coordinates the Internet’s unique identifiers. 

The .nz domain is a core part of New Zealand’s digital infrastructure, enabling individuals, communities, and organisations to connect, build, and communicate online. It is critical for ensuring that networks on the Internet have unique addresses and that people can read those addresses. Without it, we would not be able to send emails, register new websites, or even access existing ones. 

As stewards of .nz, we are committed to maintaining its reliability, resilience, and trustworthiness. 

Our role 

We perform four essential functions to support a thriving Internet in Aotearoa New Zealand: 

1. Technical operation of the .nz infrastructure – providing reliable and resilient systems to keep .nz critical infrastructure running smoothly.
2. Regulatory oversight — through our subsidiary, the Domain Name Commission, we oversee fair rules and dispute resolution for the .nz space. 
3. Investment in digital equity and inclusion — we reinvest surplus from domain sales into community funding, research, and initiatives that support a safer and more inclusive Internet. 
4. Internet governance and policy leadership — we represent New Zealand’s interests in national and global Internet governance forums to help shape policies for the internet’s future. 
5. We are not government-funded. InternetNZ operates in the public interest, supporting initiatives and critical infrastructure that benefits all people in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Transparency and integrity are central to our operations. We’re committed to being accountable in our decision-making, our engagement with others, and deliver on our responsibilities. 

Our structure 

InternetNZ is a membership-based incorporated society with over 4,600 members. Our governance includes a member-elected Board, which works alongside a professional executive team. Through our subsidiary, the Domain Name Commission, we carry out regulatory functions for .nz. We actively engage with our members, the technical community, government agencies, Māori, and the general public. 

InternetNZ’s operations and strategy are guided by our Board. The Board meets regularly throughout the year, as well as participating in strategy or training sessions. 

InternetNZ’s Executive Leadership Team, Te Kahui Tumu (TKT), is responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic delivery of the organisation’s goals. Guided by our purpose, values, and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, TKT leads the InternetNZ Group in managing the .nz domain, supporting digital equity, and contributing to local and global Internet policy. Together, they bring a wide range of expertise in governance, technology, public engagement, and organisational leadership. 

Trust 

● $999,500 allocated through our community funding programme 

● 44.86% of funding distributed to Māori individuals or organisations 

● 750,000+ .nz domain names under management 

● 4,000+ new InternetNZ members 

● 100% DNS availability across the year. 

Innovation and Delivery 

● 1 new .kiwi registry support contract secured

● 5,000+ JumpStarter domain searches during the soft launch

● 100% uptime for DNSSEC operations, including secure rollover transitions

● 21,000 users engaging through the JumpStarter platform during its soft launch.

Multi-Stakeholder Engagement 

● 1 Constitution modernised to support future governance and Te Tiriti alignment 

● 2 global Internet governance events hosted in Aotearoa New Zealand (PAC IGF and APNIC 58) 

● 8 international Internet governance events where staff participated or presented. 

People 

● 4,699 members of InternetNZ at the end of 2024–2025 

● 41 permanent staff members 

● 5% staff turnover (indicating strong retention) 

● 2 offices in Aotearoa New Zealand: Auckland and Wellington 

● 11 members of our Board.

.nz is New Zealand online

The .nz domain is the online home of Aotearoa. The .nz infrastructure is essential to New Zealand’s Internet, the performance of the modern Aotearoa economy, and the wellbeing of New Zealanders and our communities.

InternetNZ works to maintain the availability, utility, security, and trustworthiness of .nz and the Domain Name System. The .nz domain name service and .nz infrastructure remain a trusted and reliable country code top-level domain (ccTLD).

In the 2024–2025 financial year, we have had a slight increase of 0.49% in the number of .nz domain names under management compared to the previous financial year.

We operate .nz for Aotearoa New Zealand

We continued to deliver a reliable and resilient .nz registry service for Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024–2025 — ensuring the stability, security, and performance of this critical national infrastructure.

Registry performance 

[1] Domain Name System (DNS)

[2] Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP)

[3] WHOIS — public database that is updated when a domain name is registered or when DNS settings are updated

Transition complete: Our DNS and DNSSEC operations 

In 2024–25, routine lifecycle operations for Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) were completed smoothly, including scheduled Key Signing Key (KSK) and Zone Signing Key (ZSK) rollovers. Following the DNSSEC incident in 2023, we have now returned to a standard regular cadence of DNSSEC key rollovers and BAU Domain Name System (DNS) operations. 

Our team has actively shared our learnings and best practices, presenting at local and international industry events and participating in knowledge-sharing sessions with other country-code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) operators.

We continue to deliver on the 2024–2026 .nz product strategy 

The first full year of implementing our new strategy has already delivered results, including the generation of new revenue and a strong foundation for further growth in 2025–2026. Developed in 2023, the strategy is focused on ensuring a thriving, resilient, and sustainable .nz operation. A notable milestone was the addition of a wholesale domain name services agreement with a new customer: the .kiwi registry. These early phases of strategy implementation have laid a strong foundation for safely exploring additional scalable opportunities in 2025–2026, and they will inform the development of our next product strategy. 

The table below outlines the outcomes that were achieved in 2024–2025 for the .nz product strategy.

Onboarding .kiwi 

In August 2024, InternetNZ signed a contract with Dot Kiwi Limited (DKL) to provide registry support services for the .kiwi generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). To support this new service offering, we launched a dedicated service desk for .kiwi support requests in November 2024 and have begun enhancing performance reporting to meet DKL’s ongoing operational needs. 

"The services provided by InternetNZ strengthen .kiwi’s ability to provide New Zealand businesses with a distinctive online identity that reflects their roots” Andy Ellis, CEO, Dot Kiwi Ltd 

Supporting domain name growth 

In December 2024, InternetNZ launched JumpStarter, a promotional website designed to support New Zealanders in the early stages of starting a business. The site offers practical guidance and highlights the value of establishing a strong online presence with a .nz domain. 

JumpStarter includes a .nz domain name availability search tool and generates qualified leads for authorised .nz registrars. During the soft launch period, the site attracted over 21,000 users and facilitated more than 5,000 domain name availability searches. 

We have yet to reach our domain growth target arising from initiatives, partly due to the later-than-planned launch of Jumpstarter and the Registry Lock service not being offered in 2024–2025. However, we will continue to work toward meeting this growth target within the term of the product strategy. 

Policy Review — .nz Rules 

As the steward of the .nz domain, InternetNZ is responsible for setting the policies that govern the registration and use of .nz domain names. In 2024–2025, we undertook several key updates to ensure the .nz policy framework remains fair, transparent, and future-focused. 

A major focus was the review of the Conflicted Domain Name Process, which resulted in the InternetNZ Council adopting a new process. This new approach will come into effect on 1 July 2025. 

In parallel, we released proposed improvements to the .nz Rules for public feedback in April 2024. Following that consultation, the InternetNZ Council adopted changes in August 2024, which became effective as Version 3 of the .nz Rules on 1 November 2024. 

The Domain Name Commission also updated its approach to handling disputes. These administrative changes took effect on 1 October 2024, and the service is now known as the .nz Dispute Resolution Scheme. 

To support transparency and consistency going forward, we have introduced an annual .nz Rules work programme, which is now publicly available on our website. 

We are active participants in Internet governance 

As a member of the global Internet technical community, InternetNZ works to ensure the Internet remains open, global, and interoperable for the benefit of all. We do this by actively participating in Internet governance forums such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Operating a world-class country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) requires excellence across .nz policy development, technical infrastructure, regulatory practices, commercial sustainability, and global governance management. 

In 2024–2025, InternetNZ staff participated in several international forums and meetings to support the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance, strengthen relationships and expertise, and ensure Aotearoa New Zealand’s voice is represented in shaping the Internet’s future for the benefit of all. These engagements included in-person and online participation at: 

• Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum, APrIGF 2024 (Taipei, August 2024) 
• Pacific Islands Internet Governance Forum 2024, PAC IGF (Wellington, NZ, September 2024) 
• Asia Pacific Network Information Centre 58th meeting, APNIC58 (Wellington, NZ, August–September 2024) 
• DNS Operations Analysis and Research Center 44th workshop, co-located with North American Network Operators’ Group 93, OARC44/NANOG93 (Atlanta, February 2025) 
• Asia Pacific Top-Level Domain Association 87th Members’ Meeting, APTLD87 (Hong Kong, February 2025) 
• Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies and the 59th meeting of the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, APRICOT 2025/ APNIC59 (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, February 2025) 
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 81st Annual General Meeting, ICANN81 (Istanbul, November 2024) 
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 82nd Public Meeting, ICANN82 (early 2025) 

In addition, InternetNZ staff held positions on multiple Country Code Names Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) Committees within ICANN and served on the Board of the Asia Pacific Top-Level Domain Association (APTLD). 

We remain an active member of the Secretariat of A Technical Community Coalition for Multistakeholderism (TCCM) and continue to play a key role in its growth, with the coalition now approaching 40 member organisations. These members include registries and registry service providers from around the world. 

In 2024–2025, TCCM established a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Taskforce to coordinate positions on key issues related to WSIS+20 — the 20-year review of outcomes from the original WSIS summits — which will help shape the future of global Internet governance. 

In February 2025, InternetNZ signed a cross-community statement, spanning civil society, the private sector, and the technical community, on the WSIS, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and the Global Digital Compact (GDC). This statement was developed at the IGF in December 2024. In March 2025, we also signed onto a Five-Point Plan for an Inclusive WSIS+20 Review. 

During August and September 2024, InternetNZ hosted two international conferences in Wellington: 

• the PAC IGF, which focused on digital governance and strengthening resilience in the Pacific Islands; and 
• APNIC 58, which brought together over 400 Internet and network operations experts from around the Asia Pacific region to learn, share ideas, and develop policy. 

Throughout the year, we also engaged regularly with key New Zealand government agencies to strengthen support for New Zealand’s participation in multilateral Internet governance processes and share our own insights from global forums. 

Due to challenging economic conditions and a crowded conference calendar, we decided in August 2024 to postpone NetHui, our national forum for public dialogue on Internet issues. Originally announced for return in October 2024, NetHui is now being reshaped as a regional series planned for late 2025, with a renewed focus on community engagement and meaningful local conversations.

Engaging our technical community 

InternetNZ continues to actively support and collaborate with the technical community. In February 2025, our staff facilitated and presented sessions at the Asia Pacific Top-Level Domain Association (APTLD) meeting in Hong Kong, which focused on key themes of security and resilience within ccTLD operations. 

In September 2024, we hosted a .nz Registrar Summit, bringing together registrars and our teams from across InternetNZ and the Domain Name Commission. The event provided updates on the InternetNZ Registry System roadmap, .nz research and insights, Internet governance developments, marketing initiatives, and compliance activities, and reinforced collaboration and shared direction across the .nz ecosystem.

We work towards an Internet that benefits all people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our aim is for everyone to be able to use, create and innovate on the Internet in ways that keep themselves — and others — safe. We actively contribute to shaping Internet developments both domestically and internationally, helping to build a better Internet for all. 

We seek New Zealanders’ insights about the Internet 

Internet Insights Report 2024 

We regularly survey people across New Zealand to understand how they use the Internet, what benefits they experience, and the concerns they hold. Our research, the Internet Insights Report 2024, was conducted in late 2024 and publicly released on 20 March 2025. 

The report received a strong and positive response, generating widespread media coverage. Our media releases and an op-ed were picked up nationally, with 22 articles published across a range of platforms, including mainstream outlets.

Key insights from the 2024 report included: 

• 50% of New Zealanders spend four or more hours on the Internet for personal use. Most of this time online is spent on social media, emails, and streaming content. 
• 76% of New Zealanders think the Internet's positives outweigh its negatives, but this number has been steadily declining in the last five years.
• 71% of people were concerned about young children accessing inappropriate content. 
• 44% of New Zealanders who know at least a little bit about Artificial Intelligence (AI), are more concerned than excited.

Research and community projects that support a better Internet 

Our partnerships continue to deliver valuable data and insights that support improved digital well-being and data literacy across Aotearoa. For example, we support FigureNZ in advancing its vision for transparent, accessible community data. And we support the New Zealand Policy Research Institute to deliver the World Internet Project, a key source of data on how New Zealanders use and experience the Internet. 

We also support a range of smaller-scale initiatives each year that contribute to an Internet that benefits everyone. For example, Dr Alex Beattie’s research highlighted the impacts of digital disconnection and why many New Zealanders struggle to find balance online. Digital Discipline builds on this by delivering workshops in schools and workplaces for those affected by social media overuse. Meanwhile, following a successful pilot of their 101 Content Creation Workshop for disabled creators, All is for All is now collaborating with tangata whaikaha | disability-led to co-design a blueprint for scaling the programme nationwide. 

"We want to take a moment to express our gratitude to InternetNZ and thank them for their support of this project. Thanks to their support, we were able to deliver an impactful pilot programme that has provided young disabled people with tools to be safe on the Internet and feel confident when using social media." All is for All 

We engage on relevant policy issues 

Engaging the public in key issues is central to our public good approach. InternetNZ’s Chief Executive, Vivien Maidaborn, published five opinion pieces across two of the country’s leading news outlets, which led to around 15 follow-up media interviews. These editorials explored timely topics, including online scams, the need for stronger government regulation, and our position on restricting social media use for those under 16. 

InternetNZ also continues to champion policies that support an open, secure, and inclusive Internet. In 2024–2025, we made submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill, Emergency Management Reform, the Ministry of Education’s Long Term Insights Briefing, and the Limits of Internet Blocking. 

We believe everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand should be able to thrive in an increasingly digital world — in ways that work for them. Our work focuses on enabling people to access and confidently use the Internet so they can equitably participate in and benefit from our society, democracy, and economy.

Web accessibility 

Building on the success of our first-ever web accessibility grant round in 2023–2024, we supported 12 more organisations this year to improve the accessibility of their websites. Recipients represented a wide range of communities, highlighting the broader need across all sectors to contribute to a more accessible Internet. 

Grantees focused on identifying and addressing barriers to access while upskilling their teams to ensure long-term, sustainable improvements. These efforts mark an important step toward a more equitable and inclusive online environment for everyone. 

“We appreciate the relational approach of the funding process. We are very grateful for the support InternetNZ has given us to increase accessibility of our website for our community.” — Migrant Against Acceptable Standard of Health Aotearoa (MAASHA) 

We were delighted to bring together the recipients of our web accessibility grants for an online hui in October 2024. The hui provided a valuable opportunity for grantees to connect, share insights, and for InternetNZ to reflect on key learnings. For more information, see: 

• Grant announcement — web accessibility 
• Our insights into web accessibility 

Building digital skills and confidence 

Our approach to community funding is to support the digital equity ecosystem by encouraging collaboration and enabling groups to focus on sustainable solutions and public impact, knowing they have our support. Some highlights from groups fostering digital confidence and capability include: 

• Digital Futures Aotearoa shared a video highlighting their work empowering tamariki (children) and kaiako (teachers) with digital skills that spark confidence, creativity, and connections. 
• Tōnui Collab’s Kōhine Robotics, a programme addressing the underrepresentation of kōhine Māori (Māori girls) in tech by building confidence through hands-on experiences and exposure to study and career pathways. 
• Vaka continues to engage Pacific youth and open doors and minds to potential digital career pathways through education in 3D printing, modelling, and design. 
• Enabling the digital equity ecosystem through strategic partnerships. 

Our strategic community partners play a vital role in supporting the broader digital equity ecosystem and improving how they work together. The interconnected nature of Internet issues means collaboration is essential to drive sustainable, impactful change. For example: 

• Katoa Connect, in partnership with Collective Networks Aotearoa, hosted the Collective Currents Conference in October 2024 — amplifying community sector voices and exploring innovation, impact, and digital inclusion. 
• Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa (DECA) has continued to grow from its beginnings as a collaborative networking initiative. Starting in Quarter 4, we agreed to jointly develop new research and a national campaign. TUANZ (The Tech Users Association of New Zealand) had another busy year. They delivered the Rural Connectivity Symposium and Tech Users Summit, launched a new national strategy for empowering New Zealanders in a digitally connected world, raised awareness on cybersecurity, deregulation of the copper network, and vocational education reform, and led collaborative working groups on critical topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

“Our partnership with InternetNZ is much more than just having funding to support our mahi — it is a true partnership where we combine our voices when we can to magnify our impact. The financial contribution from InternetNZ enables us to fund a number of programmes like our future leaders (FLINT) and our mahi with Māori and Pasifika (Te Ara Hihiko), which we would not be able to deliver without it. It also ensures that we can continue to be a strong independent voice on behalf of all users of technology and communication services in Aotearoa.” — Craig Young, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, TUANZ 

Our partners also serve as vital conduits into digital equity communities. In 2024, Te Hapori Matihiko hosted the inspiring Ngā Tohu Matihiko | Matihiko Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to Te Ao Matihiko — the digital and technology world in Aotearoa and beyond. We were privileged to have a kōrero with Elle Archer, a key leader in this space, and we look forward to what 2025 will bring. 

“Te Hapori Matihiko deeply appreciates our partnership with InternetNZ. This partnership has allowed us to run two Futures events in Wellington, Auckland and online, then develop our Futures report. This ensures our hapori is led by rangatahi aspirations and our strategy is guided by our collective vision for the future. It has also allowed us to fund local meet-ups for our hapori members across the motu. These help us strengthen connections in the regions, and ensure that our hapori in tech have tautoko within their community. We have supported InternetNZ by sharing important and relevant pānui to our community of 1,200 Māori in digital and tech.” — Katie Brown, CE, Te Hapori Matihiko 

As a technical organisation and part of the civil society of Aotearoa and the guardian of the .nz domain name space, InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa is committed to working in ways that implement the articles of Te Tiriti within our structures, systems and work processes. 

We are working towards being recognised as a Te Tiriti o Waitangi-centric organisation through relationships and partnerships with Māori and by growing our own cultural capability.

Building the foundations of our Te Tiriti o Waitangi vision 

In 2024–2025, we launched Ngā Pae: Pathway for Growing our Te Tiriti-Centric Vision, a bold and intentional step towards embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi across all aspects of our work. Ngā Pae is an operational framework: it’s our direction, our challenge, and our enduring commitment to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi through authentic relationships, lasting impact, and meaningful actions to advance equity for Māori. 

This five-year strategy focuses on two goals: 

• Building internal capability across our organisation. 
• Strengthening trusted relationships with Māori across iwi, hapū, whānau, and Māori businesses while connecting with Indigenous partners across global Internet governance spaces. 

In the first year, Ngā Pae focuses on raising Māori awareness of InternetNZ and ensuring our mahi is relevant, meaningful, and valued. 

We also began developing a clear Te Tiriti vision statement to guide our approach and objectives as an active organisation engaging with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This work is on track to be completed in July 2025. 

To support this journey, we’ve invested in deepening our own cultural capability. Together, our staff have woven a taonga tukutuku (treasured tukutuku panels), and composed a unique InternetNZ waiata (song). 

We increased our funding support to Māori 

Over recent years, we’ve made deliberate eorts to support more Māori individuals or organisations, adapting our funding and community engagement practices to better address the digital inequity that many Māori communities face. 

In 2024–2025, we distributed $448,390 to Māori recipients – 44.86% of our total funding. This marks a steady increase from 35.97% in 2023–2024 and 25.02% in 2022–2023. 

A highlight of the year was our partnership with Tāiki E! to deliver a community-led grant round focused on digital equity in Te Tairāwhiti (East Coast region of the North Island). This initiative embodied our Te Tiriti o Waitangi aspirations by embracing a highly flexible, community-driven project design, shaped by the guiding principles of Tātau Katoa, Tātau Kōtahi, Tātau Tātau | All of us together, One together, We together. 

”Time and again, this project has shown the power of collective action. When resourcing is tight, people show up. When complexity increases, communities lean into one another.” — Quote from the Taiki E! Reflections report 

Through participatory granting, we intentionally moved away from competitive, contestable processes and embraced a co-design approach that upholds tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and mana motuhake (independence, autonomy). The resulting grants reflect a strong collaboration, bringing together established local organisations and fostering tuakana-teina (a mentoring relationship between older/more experienced and young/less experienced peers) support to nurture small-scale innovation. This kaupapa also enabled us to engage kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) with local leaders and innovators, sharing in their digital equity challenges and aspirations. 

“I am deeply grateful for this support and recognition of our kaupapa. Ngā mihi nui to you and your team for creating a space where we could share our vision and aspirations for our tamariki.” — Puri Hauiti 

Progressing the Independent System Racism Review 

Following the independent 2021–22 Systemic Racism Review, the then Council unanimously adopted the report and reaffirmed our commitment to implement all 15 recommendations by the end of 2025. With the adoption of our new Constitution, the launch of Ngā Pae, and continued work on a group-wide Te Tiriti o Waitangi vision, the majority of the recommendations have been met. We remain on track to complete the full implementation by the end of 2025. We acknowledge that some of the recommendations will require ongoing work over time, and these will become a part of our ongoing cultural competency programme, as set out in Ngā Pae. 

We have a new Constitution 

The introduction of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 required all incorporated societies to update their constitutions to remain compliant. Our new Constitution is a foundation for the future, supporting inclusive, transparent, and modern governance for InternetNZ and its members. 

For InternetNZ, this was more than legal necessity — it was an opportunity to reflect on who we are and how we serve Aotearoa New Zealand. Alongside the legislative driver, the Systemic Racism Review recommended that InternetNZ undertake the Constitution review through a co-design process with Māori, reinforcing our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi from the perspective of a civil society organisation. 

Throughout 2024–2025, we worked closely with a co-design group to develop Drafting Guidelines, which were released to members and the public in the third quarter of the year. Feedback received from submissions informed several refinements to the draft Constitution, and in areas where views diverged, we developed options for further member consideration. 

Following this robust consultation, a Special General Meeting was held online on 31 March 2025, where more than 80% of Eligible Members who voted approved the adoption of the new Constitution. 

Key changes are: 

• Updated the Society’s objects to better reflect our purpose.
• Rewritten in more simplified and precise language for improved accessibility. 
• Updated Board structure and leadership options, including the introduction of Co-chairs, with at least one being Māori. 
• An explicit commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and inclusivity.
• New dispute resolution processes aligned with natural justice principles.

Our changing membership

Our members remain the key to InternetNZ, with the majority of our Board drawn from and elected by the membership. This year saw an unprecedented increase in membership, particularly in the final quarter. Between 5 February and 31 March 2025, our membership grew from 372 to 4,699. This influx significantly increased administrative demands, prompting us to streamline processes and scale up key systems to better manage the number of sign-ups, member data, and ongoing engagement. 

We delivered on the core commitments in our 2024–2025 Membership Engagement Plan, including: 

• Upgrading our membership platform (CiviCRM) for better usability and efficiency. 
• Launching a new members' pānui (newsletter) to streamline communications. 
• Conducting our annual membership surveys to gather feedback and track engagement. 

Throughout the year, we maintained regular and meaningful interactions with members. This included: 

• Quarterly Chief Executive updates and Constitution engagement sessions
• Consultations on major initiatives like the Constitution review
• Events such as the Annual General Meeting and end-of-year stakeholder events in Wellington and Auckland. 
• Invitations to participate in multi-stakeholder consultation rounds on .nz rules and conflicted names. 
• Feedback on InternetNZ’s draft goals and priorities for 2025–26.
• Council members and the Chief Executive hosting dedicated member sessions on the Proposed Constitution. 

As our membership grows, we remain committed to deepening member engagement, ensuring transparency, and strengthening our member-led governance model. 

A new strategic direction — InternetNZ Group Strategy 2026-31 

In January 2025, we completed the planning phase for the InternetNZ Group’s new five-year strategy (2026–2031). This work included developing a refreshed purpose and values, and conducting a comprehensive environmental scan to better understand the context in which we operate. The strategy development process is on track for completion in late 2025. 

A sustainable community fund 

In 2024–2025, InternetNZ began laying the groundwork for a more sustainable approach to community funding. A commitment we will continue to build on in the years ahead. 

As at 31 March 2025: 

• 41 permanent staff
• 2 offices – one in Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland and one in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington .
• A flexible, distributed team working across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally 

Working at InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa 

A thriving, capable workforce 

We have a passionate and engaged team of kaimahi (staff), supported with the tools and resources they need to perform at their best. With a low turnover of just 5%, we’ve achieved a stable workforce over the last two years, retaining valuable cultural, technical, and organisational knowledge. 

A flexible, focused environment 

InternetNZ kaimahi enjoy a workplace where they can balance their personal and professional lives. Our robust systems prioritise accountability and transparency, while our flexible approach ensures we remain focused on delivering impact for our communities. 

A commitment to wellbeing 

We actively support the health, safety, and wellbeing of our people. Through our Health, Safety and Wellbeing and Social Committees, we foster a proactive and inclusive environment. By managing hazards and communicating clearly across all levels of the organisation, we promote a safe place for everyone. Our benefits include additional leave, ongoing development opportunities; we offer kaimahi health, life and critical illness insurance — contributing to a holistic, supportive workplace.