Nocookies | The Australian
The Australian12:00AM December 29, 2017
Airservices Australia climbs down on red-tape hurdle
The nation’s air traffic regulator has been forced into an embarrassing backdown after it announced more than 2000 airstrips and helipads nationwide — including those connected to more than 140 hospitals — would be wiped from the map if they did not clear a looming red-tape hurdle.
Airservices Australia in September announced the “operator” of every airport, airstrip and helipad nationwide must nominate an “aeronautical data originator”, or ADO, a person that would provide it with regular updates of the location and contact details of each facility.
The regulator said if operators failed to comply by January 4, it would move to “remove any reference to any remaining (airstrips and helipads) without a registered ADO” from all aeronautical information products.
Airservices Australia said it had undertaken “best efforts” to “identify ADOs” for more than 2000 airstrips and helipads but had “now exhausted all reasonable avenues of inquiry in relation to the identification of the remaining ADOs”.
This was despite the list of 2000-plus facilities including the Sydney Children’s Hospital, the Royal Perth Hospital, the Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast and facilities owned and operated by the Royal Australian Navy and Queensland Police.
Airservices Australia declined to comment when asked why it had announced the 2000-plus locations would be wiped from the map, why operators were required to regularly update the location of airstrips and airports when by nature they don’t move, and why it had been unable to contact major hospitals, the Navy or Queensland Police.
In a statement yesterday, the government body said the September “aeronautical information circular” had been removed as it “required improvement, and further context was required to explain (its) intent”.
Airservices Australia issued a replacement circular on December 19 reversing its dictum that all non-compliant facilities would be wiped from the map following an industry outcry.
Airservices Australia operates under chief executive Jason Harfield and answers to federal Transport Minister Barnaby Joyce, who replaced Darren Chester in a ministerial reshuffle this month.
Veteran pilot Bill Hamilton, who lobbied against the removal of airstrips and helipads from pilot resources, said the case was a classic example of the aviation regulator prioritising “box ticking” and bureaucracy over common sense and, ultimately, safety.
“It takes a particular brand of brain-dead bureaucrat to decide the best way to improve safety is to get rid of the (location details) of almost every aeronautical approach in the country,” Mr Hamilton said yesterday. “And to say they couldn’t contact the Royal Australian Navy — I know it’s not all that big, but nevertheless it’s not all that small that it’s invisible.”
Aviation Australia and the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority are facing criticism for over-regulating the sector to the point where civil aviation is in decline and many flight schools have been forced to close their doors.
In its updated circular, Airservices Australia said the September announcement had been aimed at “improving the integrity of the data*base” of airstrip and helipad operators. It made no reference to any facilities being removed from the map, or to its failed efforts to contact the operators.