The Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report
Glen
Obviously from your letter they have not backed their words below:
The Aviation Safety Regulation
Review Report
Government Response
December 2014
Recommendation 14
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority changes its regulatory philosophy and, together with industry, builds an effective collaborative relationship on a foundation of mutual understanding and respect.
Response
The Government agrees with this recommendation.
The Government believes that CASA and industry must work closely together on regulatory reform priorities. An ongoing and meaningful dialogue between industry and the regulator is vital.
The Government’s new SOE for the CASA Board will require CASA to develop a clear statement of regulatory philosophy which will include meaningful industry involvement, as well as a compliance and enforcement policy informed by those developed by other Commonwealth regulators and other leading aviation regulatory authorities. These policies will be considered by the CASA Board and the CASA Director of Aviation Safety. In addition, these policies will set out principles and practices:
• governing the use of safety cases to support regulatory and procedural changes by CASA that will impact on industry and the community;
• reaffirming the use of risk based criteria for determining appropriate responses to non-compliance, taking into account industry behaviours and motivations;
• establishing clear review mechanisms understood by CASA and industry for promoting national consistency in regulatory and related decision making and interpretation of regulations and standards;
• outlining CASA’s relationship expectations with industry to encourage collaboration and consultation and develop mutual understanding and respect; and
• promoting the use by CASA of targeted safety promotion and educational activities such as safety seminars around Australia to inform and obtain feedback from industry on the impacts of proposed regulatory change.
CASA has confirmed that its regulatory philosophy will be reviewed in the first half of 2015 as part of CASA’s Regulatory Policy and Practice initiative and that the outcomes of the review will be considered by the CASA Board and new Director of Aviation Safety.
As part of its quarterly reporting to the Minister on its performance against its Corporate Plan, CASA will report on its performance against the new SOE and the recommendations agreed to by the Government arising out of this Report, including implementation of its regulatory philosophy, and associated compliance and enforcement policies.
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The CASA Director of Aviation Safety will be expected to report regularly to the Board on compliance with the new regulatory policy. While putting the policy in place represents an important step, ultimately the policy will require a continuing commitment by CASA and industry to build the mutual understanding and respect so essential for a harmonious aviation industry.