N.B. I have not, as yet been able to research or confirm the information. Below is an extract from an email which I thought was worth sharing. It is the opinion of one man, but the questions seem valid – considering. I just wonder when shirt sleeves are going to be rolled up and some real work done to reduce costs and get things back on track is going to happen. The only agenda being the well being of the aviation industry in Australia. FWIW:-
[As] an example of waste and mismanagement I copy to you from the CASA website part of the minutes of the last meeting of one of its subsidiary committees, held 26 March this year. As my Commonwealth representative I would appreciate your influence in government to ;
1.) question the budget allocation to CASA, and
2.) what was the cost to the public purse of this last meeting?
3.) the meeting closed at 12.15 pm. Did the government attendees return to complete a days work?
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Regional Aviation Safety Forum - Attendees - Industry Representatives
John Tessarolo, National Flight Operations Manager, Regional Express
Mark Clayton, Chief Executive Officer, Recreational Aviation Australia
Julian Smibert, Technical Consultant, Australian Federation of Air Pilots
Christopher Thorpe, Executive Manager Operations, Gliding Federation of Australia
Scott Lingard, Policy Manager – Regional Airports, Australian Airports Association
Rick Davies, Head of Flying Operations, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Qld section) John Twomey, Operations Manager, Hang Gliding Federation of Australia
Mike Close, President, Australian Sport Aviation Confederation
Peter Gash, Chief Pilot, Seair Pacific
Brian Candler, Regional Aviation Association of Australia
Government Representatives/Observers
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
John McCormick, Director of Aviation Safety
Terry Farquharson, Deputy Director of Aviation Safety
Jonathan Aleck, Associate Director of Aviation Safety
Grant Mazowita, Manager Standards Development and Quality Assurance, Standards Division Cheryl Allman, A/Executive Manager, Airspace and Aerodrome Regulation
Peter Fereday, Executive Manager, Industry Permissions
Gerard Campbell, Executive Manager Operations
Alyson Ross, Executive Manger Safety Education and Promotion
Carolyn Hutton, Manager, Corporate Relations
John Thynne, Manager, Safety Systems Office
Lee Ungermann, Team Leader SASAO
Sandra Mavin, Executive Officer to Director of Aviation Safety
Alison Hayward, Corporations Relations Senior Officer, Corporate Relations
CASA observer
Kevin Scrimshaw, Sport Aviation Safety Assurance Officer
Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Jim Wolfe, General Manager, Air Traffic Policy
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As you can see this so called "Safety Forum", held in Sydney, is very top heavy with expensive public servants, many if not most, no doubt from Canberra (over-night?) and a full reading of the minutes reveal that virtually nothing of a safety nature, let alone efficiency, will be accomplished via this forum.