Hate to be "that guy" again, but what about this (you'll never guess where this is implemented)
Instead of requiring an ASIC for people who fly the planes, require it for the people meeting these criteria:
- Has to have access to the secured side of a security controlled airport (domestic or international) as part of their job duties? You get an ASIC Level 1 - which should encompass criminal, background, and intelligence (as in, spy stuff) checks.
- Have to have access to the unsecured side of an airport as part of your job duties? ASIC Level 2 for you, with corresponding reduced requirements.
- Want to train to fly? Apply for a Level 3 card (with all the background check fun), but be provided with a Level 4 while you wait so you can actually train.
- Waiting for your Level X card? You get a temporary Level 4 card, which requires an escort from a Level 1. Crucially, that level 1 doesn't have to be a pilot!
- Include biometrics in the card
- Define the "security controlled airport" as one having 24/7, on-site security presence, biometrics checks, and proper fencing (not the 1m tall fence easily scaled by a child I've seen in some places.
- Make application charges to be cost recovery only, in legislation or regulation.
This way, you've solved a few problems: 1) you're targeting appropriate people, since terrorists (unless they're sleepers... And how many of those have there been in the history of aviation?) aren't really the flying job holding type; 2) the recreational and private flyers don't need to get it - since they're unpredictable transients anyways, they'd need to comply with whatever by-laws or rules their field has for them; 3) students and instructors don't get cornholed with unnecessarily wait times in the training world; and 4) instead of just designating a place "security controlled" for no good reason, councils and airport owners might have to do some sort of cost vs benefit analysis of designating themselves as such.
Something along those lines seems better than the current system, while also not as drastic or dramatic as simply throwing the whole ASIC baby out with the bath water