Not sure if I'll go there "K"..I'll leave that to wiser members of the IOS(S)!!
So just wondering where Albo's policy is, or is he continuing with his..
"all the answers are in the 20 year Great White Elephant Paper"
...well industry has taken note of that {from Australian 05/09}:
Coalition policy flies with industry
THE Coalition's aviationpolicy has prompted a wave of optimism that in government it would be moreresponsive to industry concerns.
Industry players contacted byThe Australian welcomed the policy, released last week by oppositiontransport spokesman Warren Truss, as a step in the right direction that showedthe Coalition had been listening to the industry.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese did not take up an offer to respond to the policy while at the big end of town Qantas and Virgin werealso reluctant to comment.
But associations representing tourism, the airports, regional aviation, general aviation, aerial agriculture and maintenance providers were all generally supportive of the 12-point policy,costed initially at $6 million, and gave the opposition kudos for putting it together.
They also supported the idea of an external review of the aviation safety and regulatory environment similarto the Wheeler review on airport security.
The Coalition also foreshadowed a potential restructuring of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority,a strengthening of the CASA board and an aviation industry consultative councilthat would meet regularly with the minister.
It said it would invest an additional $3.5m to introduce "a new and better targeted" en-route rebate scheme for regional airlines, focus on better use of Australian airspace by tasking Airservices Australia to fast-track new technologies and recognise the importance of Australian airports to the economy.
Other pledges included the continued promotion of aviation liberalisation while protecting the national interest, enhancing aviation skills, and a review of the way aviation security measures are implemented.
The Coalition's tourism policy also pleased the airlines and the tourism industry, especially the pledge tofreeze the controversial passenger movement charge at $55 for its first term.
Labor had not released an aviation policy document at the time of going to press, but at the recent CAPA Australian Pacific Aviation Conference Mr Albanese singled out general aviation, aviation manufacturing and pilot training as areas that would receive a renewed emphasis under are-elected Labor government.
However, in an address short of forward-looking detail, Mr Albanese spent much of his speech cataloguing what Labor had accomplished since the 2009 aviation white paper.
These included renegotiated air service agreements, an increase in the passenger liability cap to $725,000,the appointment of an airline customer advocate and the signing of the Cape Town Convention toreduce aircraft capital costs.
Both major parties have pledged to nominate a site for a second Sydney airport in their first term,with Labor saying it would also start work. Both have indicated they would look at Richmond RAAF base as a temporary overflow for the existing airport.
While players were disappointed in Labor's failure to release a policy, they described the Coalition document as a good start.
The Australian Aviation Associations' Forum, the umbrella group, described Mr Truss's policies as"refreshing" and said the opposition had been listening to the industry.
The group believed Mr Truss was serious about the initiatives and the policy was a positive development.
"They are steps in the right direction," it said. "The industry has never been more united and is looking forward to working with the incoming government."
The Regional Aviation Association of Australia welcomed the return of the en-route subsidy scheme,but noted it was $2.5m less than the earlier scheme.
"The new policies are light on funding,but we are willing to work with any incoming government to help them trim the bloated bureaucracies, encourage further efficiencies and have the industry climbing again," RAAA chairman Jeff Boyd said.
RAAA chief executive Paul Tyrrell said the proposal to reappraise CASA, its board and the regulatory reform process had the support of the regional industry.
He said it also supported strengthening the industry complaints commissioner, although it would still like to have a minister of aviation.
"Overall, it appears the Coalition is having a good look at its major aviation bodies and how they are led and how they are structured and has offered some improvements," MrTyrrell said. "And we would support that."
Aerial Agriculture Association of Australia chief executive Phil Hurst said he would have liked to have seen more detail from both sides and it was disappointing only one party had produced a policy.
Describing the policy as"safe", he acknowledged the Coalition was unable to promise the world, but believed it was a positive development, which the AAAA was happy to put to its members.
"It's actually encouraging to see the Coalition is coming in with a pretty wide brief and they're not trying to second guess the answers before they actually get inthere and see what's going on," Mr Hurst said.
Aviation Aerospace Australia,which includes manufacturers and the big airlines in its membership, welcomed the Coalition's focus on the industry, including the future skills development and training policies and formation of the industry consultative council.
"Open and ongoing dialogue with the federal government is a vital part of the continued growth and development of the Australian aviation and aerospace industries,"executive director Paul Fox said.
"We believe there are real opportunities for Australia's innovative aerospace manufacturers in international markets and acknowledge the coalition's focus on the important growth sector. There are also substantial opportunities to export Australia's expertise in aviation training, particularly within burgeoning Asian markets."
Australian Airports Association chief executive Caroline Wilkie welcomed the external review of aviation, particularly given the impact of escalating security costs - now topping 12 per cent of total operating expenses - on regional airport operators. Ms Wilkie said the risk-based approach to aviation security, the new en-route subsidy scheme, the commitment to remote aerodrome safety and adequate regional weather services were also welcome. "A focus on better utilisation of Australian airspace will help ensure that the capacity provided by airport operators, particularly at major capital city airports, is more effectively utilised through better airspace management as well as enabling the latest generation of private and business aircraft, which are much quieter to operate at curfew-affected airports such as Sydney and Adelaide," she said.
The review of allowable charter and business aircraft that could operate during curfews at Sydney andAdelaide was also supported by the Tourism and Transport Forum "as a good first step on the path towards incentivising quieter, modern aircraft overolder, noisier types".
"The Coalition's policy recognises the absurdity of legislation that fails to take into account the massive gains made by aircraft manufacturers in making significantly quieter aircraft," TTF chief executive Ken Morrison said.
Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association executive director Ken Cannane said most people in his organisation were "pretty darn supportive" of the direction proposed by the Coalition.
"It's a pity they couldn't be a little more prescriptive in a couple of areas, but they've got enough in there to make sure of the changeover that needs to be done in aviation to get us back into the business world around the local Pacific area," Mr Cannane said.
He said changes to regulations by CASA had negatively affected the industry and members buried in red tape no longer believed the regulator was listening to them.
Regional Express executive chairman Lim Kim Hai, a trenchant critic of the current government, said the policy addressed critical issues raised for the past two years and "which have been devastating to aviation".
"If Mr Truss gets into government I trust that he will keep his election promises and faithfully carry out the agenda set out in his aviation policy," he said. "Regional aviation has suffered too much in recent times from broken promises and neglect, and deserves better going forward.
Waiting..waiting..not long now! Vote one IOSS
