The blacklist of 2,602 websites was leaked, and the Communications Minister said, "it isn't the real blacklist, and leaking it is irresponsible." The ACMA
echoes this position. No, that doesn't make sense to us, either.
The problem is that if you want to ban specific websites, you either release their names and addresses, in which case your ban index acts as a helpful index for paedophiles and terrorists, saves them doing research; or you keep the list secret, which means nobody can actually block it for you.
So the idea was to give the list to ISPs, who would then block it for the government. Of course in any ISP at least a dozen people would have to see the list, and we have
dozens of ISPs in the country, so there's no way the list can remain secret.
The first leaked list contained many websites which were completey harmless - a Queensland dentist, for example - and quite a few which are technically illegal, but which Australians wouldn't be happy with banning. For example, Aussies in general are not going to object to the banning of sites for child pornography and instructions on making explosives in your kitchen. But some little old lady on YouTube talking about voluntary euthanasia and how to get drugs to knock yourself off painlessly?
It's also problematic that some webpages on some sites are banned, but not the site itself. For example, zombiesurvival.com has a few pages on how to make explosive devices (I don't recommend following their recipes, which are flawed to say the least). These pages are on the banned list, but the site as a whole is not. This makes it relatively easy to accidentally commit a crime by accessing prohibited content; and of course makes it technically more difficult for ISPs to comply.
After the leaking, the government did a quick cleanup, removing the obviously absurd ones, leaving them with 1,172. An article talking about it is
here on wikileaks. I warn that the list of banned websites is there, with no images. Most of the websites are child pornography or bestiality. Others are violent pornography with rape themes or the like. Still others provide instructions in criminal activity, like making explosives, identity theft and so on. You can be pretty sure none of it is safe for work, let alone your marriage or relations with law enforcement.
In Australia, it is an offence punishable by fines of $11,000 a day and up to ten years imprisonment to publish even a single link from the list. As for clicking on the links, accessing child pornography is a crime, though the position of access to material like "how to make blasting caps" on zombiesurvival.com is a bit murkier, depending on your intent and so on.
At this stage, the banned pages list is supposed to be being trialled by 6 ISPs. At least one of them has pulled out - my own ISP, iinet, discusses the issue
here; since that article, they have withdrawn from the trial.