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Old 19th Jan 2005, 13:34
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Woomera
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Dunnunda & Godzone
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fish CASA reply to PPRuNe email re TVL.

Folks;

Following a fairly determined discussion on this board in regard to an alleged incident involving a Mackay charter operator during a trip to Brampton and the subsequent allegations aired in regard to “protection” and “favouritism” of certain operators we were moved to send the following email to CASA o the 27th December.

Ms Nicola Hinder
Acting Executive Manager
Corporate Affairs
[email protected]
Copy:
Mr Bruce Byron
Chief Executive Officer
cc: by email.
Allegations involving CASA Offices in Far North Queensland
There has been a number of allegations of serious malfeasance, misconduct, oppressive staff management practices and harsh and unjust regulatory action, over a number of years, involving staff at CASA offices in Townsville and Cairns. Recently, those allegations have principally involved the CASA Townsville Manager.
You are invited to read of recent allegations regarding an aircraft accident at Brampton Island on December 15, 2004 (reported to the ATSB), involving Piper Aztec VH-ZHZ and in particular:
• the allegation the operator may not have complied with CASA requirements in respect to the operator’s post accident operation of the aircraft;
• an allegation the operator concerned may enjoy a preferential relationship with CASA, Townsville, by virtue of previous employment with CASA;
• an allegation CASA staff in Townsville are subject to oppressive management policies and practices, resulting in excessive staff stress leave; and
• allegations of vindictive and grossly excessive regulatory action against certain operators, a number of which have been subsequently overturned in the AAT, but at very significant cost to those operators and individuals.
Those allegations are contained in two threads on the PPRuNe bulletin board:
Aircraft incident at Brampton Island:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...&perpage=15&pa genumber=1
BB, FNQ aviation needs your help:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hreadid=156838
This information is provided as a public service. PPRuNe Administrators and Moderators do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise contained in user posts to the PPRuNe bulletin board, nor express any opinion as to the veracity of the allegations or statements made.
Woomera
PPRuNe Dunnunda Forum Moderator



The following response, for which we thank Ms Hinder, was received Mon the 17th January 2005.

Woomera
Moderator
Dunnunda and Godzone
Professional Pilots Rumour Network

BY EMAIL: [email protected]



Dear Woomera

I refer to your email of 27 December 2004 enclosing the threads posted on the Professional Pilots Rumour Network (PPRuNe) about the actions of officers of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in the Far North Queensland Region.

Firstly, thank you for bringing these posts to my attention and allowing CASA the opportunity to comment.

As you have noted in your email, there have been a number of allegations of serious malfeasance, misconduct and oppressive staff management practices and harsh and unjust regulatory action over the last number of years involving staff at CASA offices in Townsville and Cairns. I would like to note a key word here - allegations.

As a result of allegations relating to the behaviour of a small number of CASA staff in the Townsville office being brought to the attention of Mr Bruce Bryon, Chief Executive Officer of CASA, Mr Byron commissioned Mr Stephen Skehill to investigate those allegations. I do not intend to go into the specifics of the allegations themselves as I think it fair to say that the persons concerned have placed some of Mr Skehill's report and their allegations on the public record on PPRuNe and also the people involved deserve their privacy to be maintained.

The final report on the matters investigated by Mr Skehill was provided to CASA on 17 September 2004. The significant conclusion of the Skehill report was that the evidence did not support the allegations that had been raised.


-2-

Like any industry, gossip and rumour within aviation abound and free and open debate of any concerns should be encouraged. I am concerned however that a number of the matters posted about CASA's actions date from some significant time in the past.

I am also concerned that some of the posts imply, and may indeed encourage, threatening behaviour against CASA staff, and many posts seek to identify particular CASA staff as the subjects of the allegations and threats. While CASA is and always should be subject to scrutiny by those its regulates, and consequently have to deal with well-founded and objective criticisms, it is clearly inappropriate (and unlawful) to threaten and seek to intimidate individual CASA officers. I am astounded that posts containing material clearly intended to be threatening to specific individuals are permitted on PPRuNe.

It is clear that a proportion of the posters are motivated to make their comments by personal animosity or long-held grudges against particular individuals, the North Queensland Area Office, or CASA generally. At the end of the day, comments such as those posted about the past actions of the North Queensland Area Office do nothing to help establish a measure of trust and respect between that office and the aviation industry in North Queensland. However, I would like to note some of the positive comments about CASA that have been posted within this thread and echo the comment by Captain Starlight that if operators wish to raise concerns about the actions of CASA, that this be done direct to the CASA CEO, Chief Operating Officer or to myself. I also note the comments made by the 'Sword of Damocles' on
23 December 2004 where he asked that the rest of the North Queensland industry who are quite content with their regulator, not to be dragged into the vitriol.

CASA had thought and hoped that a fresh start had been made during the industry consultation meeting and open forum we held with FNQ operators last year, and had planned a follow-up visit to Cairns later this year. Due to the success of the meeting in Cairns a visit to Townsville has also been planned.

It appears however that despite this commitment to a fresh start, and the considerable efforts made by the new Area Manager of the North Queensland Area Office, Mr Alan Cook, and the stated intentions of Mr Byron, Mr White and myself at the meeting that an open and effective relationship between us be developed and maintained, there are some who remain unconvinced.

As such, Mr White, Mr Cook and I are planning a visit to the area in the near future.
Should there be any persons who have posted on PPRuNE who would like to opportunity to personally raise their concerns during this visit, they
should feel free to contact my office on (02) 6217 1010. While I note your
post that there are operators who are afraid to raise their concerns, even anonymously, I can nothing more than assure PPRuNE readers that should matters be raised, they will be dealt with seriously and in-confidence.

-3-

Alternatively, may I suggest that commencement of topics that lead to threats of violence or specifically mention CASA officers, be re-considered.


Yours sincerely



Nicola Hinder
Acting Executive Manager
Corporate Affairs

Whilst I must reiterate
PPRuNe Administrators and Moderators do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise contained in user posts to the PPRuNe bulletin board, nor express any opinion as to the veracity of the allegations or statements made.
We simply moderate according to the rules of PPRuNe, the direction of the forum discussion is yours not ours.

I would also remind PPRuNe users:
While CASA is and always should be subject to scrutiny by those its regulates, and consequently have to deal with well-founded and objective criticisms, it is clearly inappropriate (and unlawful) to threaten and seek to intimidate individual CASA officers.
my bolding.

Objective, calm and deliberative discussion is always welcome and indeed encouraged here, particularly if it fosters constructive dialogue between the parties especially including DOTARS, CASA and Airservices and contributes to the well being and safe operation of our industry.

I have no doubt that should you wish to use these forums to address specific or general issues directly to the regulators here in a calm, responsible and deliberative manner you will receive an appropriate response.

If I may take the liberty of paraphrasing Foyls succinct observation in the manner of conducting dialogue with our industry partners.

We can only go forward from here by a shift of view away from the stance that CASA and Airservices are evil entities with the sole aim of maliciously destroying GA. We need to come up with solutions instead of yelping about issues and telling everyone how unfair we think it is. We need to move far, far away from the current rhetoric in order to regain credibility, with the regulators.
The tools are right there on the screen in front of you, these pages are monitored by the regulators and you may and should speak directly to them.
If you do so with the same respect that you are in the habit of demanding from them and others you might just resolve your problem or clarify the issue.
You may not always get the answer you want or expect, but unless you engage with them, you will never find out the why and the wherefore of their decisions, nor have the opportunity to provide the input that they seriously and sincerely desire in order to resolve the issue to your mutual satisfaction.

Creampuff avers;
Perhaps the vocal minority’s the problem, not the solution
We all have the choice which one would you choose to be:

Part of solution

Or

Part of the problem.

Mr Byron and his team sincerely want us all to be part of the solution, they are doing their part to the best of their individual abilities, what are you doing. They will always have the support of PPRuNe to enable them to express their point of view whenever it is appropriate. You of course will always, within the bounds of PPRuNe rules, have the right of reply.

Next time you want to “slip it to em”, let’s see if we can do it in a non confrontational and constructive form, from which point both parties can learn and go forward.

Over to you, it’s your Forum, use it constructively, it’s entirely possible that as a pretty broad cross section of the industry, you can collectively be more effective than some of the narrow focus organisations that claim to represent your interests to Government.

The Woomeri
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