When the Coalition won the last election, there was great support from the aviation industry for what the LNP promulgated as the Coalition Aviation Policy. In the Policy they included a Plan. The following is AMROBA score, out of ten, of government’s achievement against each of their policy
promises. Total 37/160 Not very good. Not many items have started.
The Government’s Plan
1.Abolish the Carbon Tax- The Coalition will abolish the carbon tax.
Score: 10/10
2. Establish Formal Industry Consultation with the Minister- The Coalition will establish a formal Aviation Industry Consultative Council that will meet on a regular basis with the Minister to discuss matters of concern to the broader aviation industry and ensure that the industry’s views have a forum for discussion and development.
Score: 0/10 – no indication so far.
3. Ensure Best Practice in Aviation Safety is Maintained-The Coalition will establish an external review of aviation safety and regulation in Australia.
Score: 10/10 – will LNP implement recommendations? 2/10 at this stage
4. Reform the Structure of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)- The Coalition will seek to enhance CASA’s abilities to function as Australia’s key aviation safety regulator.
a. Strategic direction - Enhancing CASA’s capability as Australia’s aviation safety regulator must start with establishing a firm strategic direction for the organisation. Score: 0/10 ASRR recommendation also identified changes needed.
b. CASA board - CASA’s board has been repeatedly established, abandoned and re-established again.
Score: 5/10 1 new member announced, 3 more rumoured.
c. Industry Complaints Commissioner- The Coalition recognises the importance of having a reliable, robust and transparent complaints process that is managed in a timely manner Score: 2/10 ASRR recommendation report to CASA Board
5. Focus on the Better Utilisation of Australian Airspace-The Coalition will task Airservices Australia with fast-tracking technological improvements at airports where they are supported by both airlines and airports and will have a significant impact on the reliability of the aviation network, or where it will lessen the impact of aircraft noise.Score: 2/10 No info available
6.Support Regional Aviation-The Coalition will introduce a new and better targeted En Route Rebate Scheme for regional commercial airline carriers to support low volume and new routes to small and remote communities.
Score: 4/10 Some changes introduced
7. Recognise the Importance of Our Airports - The Coalition reaffirms our commitment that airports must be dedicated to providing aviation services and other developments on site should not be approved if they compromise the current or future aviation operations of the airport.
Score: 3/10 Some statements and monies allocated
a. Regional aerodrome weather services - The Coalition acknowledges the benefits that aerodrome weather services provide in regional communities, not just for aviation but also for local weather forecasting and for use by emergency services personnel. Score: 0/10
b. Sydney Airport - If elected, the Coalition will make a decision on the site for a second Sydney Airport in the first term of government.
Score: 10/10 Decision has been made
8. Encourage Aviation Manufacturing - The Coalition acknowledges the important role of aircraft and aviation component manufacturing in Australia.
Score: 0/10 Less manufacturing today – no growth yet seen
9.Revitalise the General Aviation Action Agenda - The Coalition will revitalise the General Aviation Action Agenda and establish a regular dialogue with the general aviation sector to address industry issues.
Score: 0/10 No action at this moment. Need to adopt FARs
10.Promote Aviation Liberalisation - The Coalition acknowledges the importance of international aviation to our tourism industry and our broader economy. We recognise the potential of Australia as a prime tourism destination within the Asia-Pacific region.
Score: 0/10 No action
11.Enhance Industry Training and Development - The Coalition will undertake a study into the state of the workforce in the broader aviation industry to inform future skills development and training policies. This will include a consideration of whether high upfront training costs are acting as a barrier to entry. The study into the state of the aviation workforce will be undertaken by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and conducted within existing resources.
Score: 0/10 Study not yet started
12.Ensure Aviation Security is Risk-Based - The Coalition will review security risk assessments regularly to ensure that existing measures are adequate or still necessary and new rules are appropriately implemented.
Score: 1/10 Some consideration to changes
September 2014
Ken Cannane
AMROBA
Phone: (02) 97592715
Mobile: 0408029329
Safety All Around.
But Ken the miniscule is getting on with it just very, very slowly...
Here he is today (just before leaving for question time as Ag PM) rubbing shoulders with other aviation luminaries
{which included the Ag DAS who showed his commitment to a greater cause by foregoing his afternoon nap..
}...
Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to respond to the Forsyth inquiry into Australia’s aviation regulatory system before the end of the year.
Speaking at Airservices’ annual Waypoint conference in Canberra on Thursday, Truss said the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) found Australia had a good safety record but identified “opportunities for improvement”.
“The government is now carefully considering all of the 37 recommendations and other matters arising from the report,” said Truss, who is also the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development.
“We intend to provide a comprehensive response before the year is out. Above all, we are committed to ensuring that aviation maintains an appropriate safety regulatory framework that will provide the platform for the industry’s future growth.”
The ASRR report, released in June, called for substantial cultural and structural change at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and for better leadership of and coordination between Australia’s aviation safety agencies. Moreover, it said the relationship between CASA and the aviation industry was “in many cases, adversarial”.
The review, also known as the Forsyth Report, said the appointment of a new director of aviation safety was a chance to reform the culture of the organisation.
Truss was speaking at a public event for the first time since John McCormick ended his five-and-a-half-year term as the director of aviation safety at CASA on August 31. But he did not address the matter of McCormick’s replacement or the three new directors due to be appointed to the CASA board.
Truss said the government was committed to reducing the regulatory burden on business by cutting unnecessary red tape and allowing more competition to facilitate job creation. Regulation was a particular feature of the aviation sector, he said.
“Aviation has more regulation per square inch than any other industry I know and I would like to get rid of most of them,” Truss said.
“But I know that that will compromise confidence in our safety record.”
However, there were some things that the government is able to do, such as lifting the regulatory burden on the nation’s airports.
“My department has been engaging with stakeholders to identify areas of regulation duplication and overlap affecting our airports,” Truss said.
“In particular we are consulting on proposals to streamline the master plan and major development plan processes. The airport owners tell me they would like to see a longer duration between master plans and that further productivity gains could be achieved if the financial thresholds around major development plans were amended.
Oh and apparently Dougy was also there...
"...I’m in Canberra today, at Waypoint, Airservices’ annual hosting of its customers (and others) for a day of information exchange and networking. It’s always a professional and very useful dialogue, capped off by a dinner and, from this year, the Peter Lloyd lecture. Airservices’ chairman Angus Houston will share the hosting with CEO Margaret Staib. I’ll share the highlights with you asap..."
Dougy also had this little snippet of intel...
"..As an aside, I’m hearing that the delay in the naming of a new DAS for CASA is simply that it’s stuck on a desk in the Prime Minister’s office. I would have thought that if it was going to be delayed in any office it would be that of the Deputy PM, as the relevant minister. Anyway, apparently the decision has been made, so let’s hope it’s the right one..."
FFS the miniscule's desk must be groaning under the tombs of complaint correspondence etc...
MTF...
