For those who are not aware, you do not need to get your ASIC through CASA. Just about every certified AD which is a security controlled airport is also an ASIC issuing authority. Some may be a little anal about it and selfishly only process the cards for employees and pilots based on their airports. Others will happily do it for you. The good thing is, you are dealing directly with the issueing authority. Going through CASA only puts an extra unnecessary bureaucratic layer into the process. One of the biggest delays in getting the ASICs issued is the AFP clearance but as soon as AUSCHECK comes on line in about September, the whole process should speed up to be turned around in about 5 working days max.
As already said before, you do not renew your ASIC. When it expires, it has the value of the plastic that it is made from. The whole process is repeated again with the only difference being that the police check portion of the cost reduces from $49 down to $36. Issuing Authorites will probably charge the same though and pocket the difference.
Finally, please do not take advice from CASA on where an ASIC is and is not required. They clearly do not know what is required. If you are going to a security controlled airport, you need an ASIC period. The old AVID is worthless. You cannot operate as PIC on an airports Visitors ID card because the ability for you to be directly supervised is removed once you lock yourself in your aircraft. If you think this is a frustrating waste of time as a pilot, try being an AD operator having to manage and enforce this crap.
MuffinMan,
I especially appreciate your frustration too. There are so many issues that arise with aeromedical flights and patients that were not considered in the drafting of the ATSRs. But sadly the way it stands at the moment you not only have to have your ASIC but if you are departing from the airside security zone you also have to comply with screening requirements. I posed that very scenario to DOTARS some time back and asked "what have we achieved" their response was - "well we stuffed a pilot around for a while"
I'm not sure whether he meant that as a joke or to in some way acknowledge the futility of the whole thing.