I hate to say it, but the best leader of the civil aviation department in my time was good old Sir Donald Anderson who was the Director General of the then Dept of Civil Aviation (DCA) and I don't believe the following organizations have had a leader anywhere as good since. CASA is a joke, even the name is misleading - Safety Authority?? You jest of course. CAA was more appropriate, but even CARA (regulatory) might be closer to the mark. Why is it that I can carry a copy of the FARs around in my nav bag but would need a wheel barrow or more to carry all the Oz regs about?? Why is it that an instructor in the USA can instruct without being attached to a flying school? Why is it that we need approval to mount a go-pro camera on a GA aircraft in Oz? At Oshkosh there are over a 100 different mounts for go-pro cameras for sale! The management of Civil Aviation in Oz is a joke and the serious part is that it is killing the industry by significant over regulation. Sad.
The answer is close to what Glen said. We need a complete review of the upper level management of the organisation and to have folk in those rolls that have some idea of what they are doing and not feeding their ego for power and control! Let us hope and pray that the new Director will not just play the politics, but try and sort the mess that CASA is out.
One needs to remember that you can be compliant but not safe, but as safe as practical and not be compliant - one cannot guarantee 100% safety.