CASA is misnamed - It should be CARA.. they are more interested in Regulation than Safety.
True to some extent - except that their purpose is to
regulate operators to a
minimum level of
safety.
The minimum standards set for CHTR operators are based on a range of factors that have been shown to influence the safety of the organisation. The BARS audit is no different - they just use different criteria, which (generally) will produce a standard higher than the minimum required by CASA.
CASA are slaves to their political masters and there would be political ramifications in implementing the BARS to all charter operators, for example. YES it would be safer to have the Bungles scenics done in a 2-crew turbine twin - but would it work?
The resource sector are free from the weight of public opinion and can set whatever standard they like amongst themselves, and good on them, but their "affordable safety" is different to the pastoral sector's "affordable safety".