Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has softened his approach to the proposed content filtering system in the works for the land down under.

Retreating from the position of legislative mandate pitched throughout 2007 and 2008, Conroy asserted that the program could be adopted on a voluntary basis. “One option is potentially legislation. One other option is that it could be (on a) voluntary basis that they (ISPs) could voluntarily agree to introduce it,” Conroy told shadow communications minister Nick Minchin in a senate estimates committee meeting.

At present, the Australian government is footing a $300,000 bill for a trial involving some 30,000 Australian broadband customers. Results of the trial are expected to be finalized and submitted some time in the late summer which will trigger efficacy and scalability studies to determine broad viability of the program.