DSPANZ Planning Day 2026

In January 2026, the DSPANZ Board and staff met in Melbourne for our annual planning days.

Over two days, we reviewed where DSPANZ currently delivers value, the challenges facing Digital Service Providers (DSPs), and how we can adapt to better represent the sector across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand now and into the future.

What's Our Focus

The Board agreed on a practical set of focus areas to guide DSPANZ’s work over the next 12–24 months:

Member engagement and growth through targeted outreach, a programme of high-value smaller events, and clearer messaging about DSPANZ’s offer.

Financial sustainability by broadening revenue streams (grants, sponsorships and paid services) while keeping membership fit for purpose.

Governance and leadership reforms, including Board succession planning, director term structures and constitutional amendments where needed.

Clearer representation and advocacy by improving how we collate and present industry feedback so government consultation is informed by how systems work in practice.

What We Heard

We got some of our members and stakeholders into the conversation and ran a member survey to ground our discussions in the real priorities of Digital Service Providers. Members value DSPANZ’s role as a practical bridge between government intent and real-world delivery.

They asked for:

• Stronger engagement with senior government stakeholders.
  
• DSPANZ to act as a one-stop source for regulatory insight and sector coordination.
  
• Continued focus on networking, practical support and collaboration.
  
• Assurance that our membership and advocacy approach remains fit for purpose as the sector evolves.
  
• A single, nuanced and credible voice for industry engagement with government.

DSPANZ must retain a member-first focus while increasing our capacity to influence regulatory outcomes and operate sustainably.

What's Next

DSPANZ will translate these priorities into an operational roadmap with clear measures of success, resourcing plans and governance changes. Members should expect regular updates and more opportunities to contribute through our working groups and consultations.

If you have any issues to raise for considerations or would like to get involved with DSPANZ and explore our engagement opportunities - please contact us at hello@dspanz.org.