The newly launched second level domain .kiwi.nz has helped push the total number of .nz registrations past 500,000 in a "landmark day for the New Zealand Internet".

The Domain Name Commission says the milestone comes nearly ten years after InternetNZ introduced a competitive market for .nz domain name registrations.

With over 80 organisations now providing .nz registration services, Domain Name Commissioner Debbie Monahan credits the commitment of the registrars in spurring the growth in .nz names.

“Ultimately, this is the result of the willingness of many thousands of people who have chosen .nz  names to represent themselves online, and the hard work that .nz registrars have done in promoting the .nz domain name space," Monahan says.

“New Zealanders have a choice when it comes to registering domain names, and we acknowledge and thank the half-million holders of .nz names for their support."

Since it's creation the .nz domain name space has experienced average yearly growth of 38,280 as recent reports from Europe suggests most businesses continue to put their faith in the local country’s domain, favouring these over generic names such as .com.