Copied from another thread... (and edited a little)
quote
To change Government policy you need the general public behind you, in support of the changes you want. In other words to get the government to support a GA agenda, the general public need to percieve GA is a very good thing.
Now, in my humble opinion, the General public view of GA is something like :
"what??????" Aviation is about Qantas, Virgin Blue and BIG planes or military jets. Aviation is about me going to Surfers paradise by plane to see Aunty Moira or a B747 from Sydney to London. Little planes are either bringing crayfish from King Island so I can buy em cheap, playthings of rich silvertails, or things that give me a $60 twenty minute ride for a thrill."
1. Produce some concrete statistics about the size and value of GA to the Australian economy, lets start with contribution to GDP as a percentage and dollar figure, employment - especially compared to RPT operators, number of aircraft, hours flown, numbers of flights, passenger miles, number of passengers, tax revenue, etc. etc. The purpose of this twofold: establish the importance of GA to the AUstralain economy, compare it to the RPT operators as well. Are we important to the Australian economy? Do we therefore have interests that should legitimately be considered? Are we merely a wart on the bum of progress? These figures will prove it one way or the other.
2. Build a vision. What should GA look like in twenty years? Ten years? Five years?
3. Get a first rate
PR firm to turn your vision into comprehensible position and policy statements that the general public can understand and agree with. Intersperse the statements with FACTS to support the argument ie: "Did you know that Qantas employs 35,000 and has revenues of 2 billion ? Well GA employs 150,000 people and has revenues of $4.5 billion". " Did you know that Bankstown airport generates x,000 jobs and Y,000 million in wages? " "Did you know that z,000 people are moved to hospital by GA every year? In other words build a simple case about why GA is GOOD for Australia.
4. Sell the message to the General Public for a few years in as many ways possible - (for example, why do you think the motorcycle riders association has an annual christmas toy collection for disadvantaged kids?
5. Once you can PROVE that the General Public has a good perception of GA, and that GA is "at risk" in some way, then talk to the public servants concerned with regulating you and work out whats feasible and what is not. Work out what is going to give you some win/win situations ie: something good for GA, good for the public servants, good for CASA, ASA or whatever, and good in terms of votes for the Minister.
unquote
Found a good website which gives all (or at least most) of the stats that sunfish suggests.
http://www.btre.gov.au/avstats/docs/
Now I want to ask you - what should aviation be like in (insert appropriate period of time).
The figures I have skimmed over tell me that we are not harnessing our potential in carriage of pax and freight. Overwhelmingly, people travel places in cars and freight goes by sea/road. I understand that we cant carry things like coal etc but surely we can carry more than 0.1% of ffreight??
Anyway I'd like to hear your opinions.