I don’t disagree with the thrust of your concerns frank, but just so people are clear on the actual change i.e. an increase of less than 1c per litre.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
This will result in the aviation fuel excise rate increasing from 2.854 cents per litre to 3.556 cents per litre, an increase of 0.702 cents per litre.
Within this funding strategy, additional revenue of $89.9m is forecast to be generated by the increase in the aviation fuel excise rate over the budget and three forward estimate years, based upon projected volumes of collection. CASA will use this additional revenue to fund 97 permanent positions for safety specialists, safety analysts and airworthiness inspectors and other staff, allowing CASA to expand its surveillance activities and fulfil its increasingly complex regulatory responsibilities
Amongst other things:-
the Office of Airspace Regulation. This funding replaces the existing cost recovery arrangement with AirServices Australia, due to expire under the existing agreement on 30 June 2010.
Are AsA are going to reduce fees in line with not funding OAR from 30 June?
The other interesting part of this is that premumably GA in controlled airspace have been funding CASA OAR, this change means all GA including Avgas burning RAAus will now pay for it? Fair or not?