There is some disagreement about whether or not it is a legal requirement for a pilot to log co-pilot time when rostered for duty as safety pilot during the training of a new first officer on line. The definition of "Safety Pilot" is not published in
Civil Aviation Safety Authority - CASR Part 61 - Flight crew licensing which deals with Pilots Log Books - General guidance and Crediting of Flight Time.
The following definitions are relevant to the question.
Co-Pilot Includes all flight time as co-pilot or second officer. Time spent as designated crew rest during a flight CANNOT be credited towards co-pilot time.
Co-pilot
means all flight time while serving in any piloting capacity other than as pilot in command.
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The question arises where a qualified endorsed pilot on type (say B737/ A320 for example) is rostered to fly in an observer's seat to act as so called "Safety Pilot" while a training captain is engaged in training a new first officer up until the time that the first officer has completed his on-line instruction and is certified to operate as first officer.
One interpretation is the safety pilot is an operating member of the flight crew subject to the company flight and duty limitations and is entitled or required to log time as safety pilot in his log book column as co-pilot time. This is consistent with both definitions above.
An opposing view is he is not an operating pilot because he does not occupy a control seat and thus is not required by legislation to log any sort of flight time as safety pilot.
One presumes the purpose for rostering of a safety pilot is to take command of the aircraft should the captain become incapacitated, since the rostered first officer has yet to be certified competent to take command should the captain become incapacitated.
Your views gleaned from interpretation of the relevant CASA orders would be appreciated. One CASA FOI when contacted said safety pilot time is not to be logged. Another former CASA FOI says the exercising of the privileges of a pilots licence applies only to those occupying a control seat. So although the concept of having a safety pilot for the above reasons has been long standing, there is no shortage of personal opinions re logging or otherwise. This suggests the relevant CASA documentation needs revising because of deficient original drafting.