The Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report - Government Response

[coljones]

Courtesy of AOPA - representing Pilots and Aircraft Owners

 

The Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report Government Response

 

Ministerial Statement: The Australian Government's Response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review Report

 

 

[dsam]

Well!! I've only just skimmed these two documents, but if we describe this as Industry vs. CASA, it would seem that Industry has won "Round 1". Much will depend on the new Director of Aviation Safety hitting the ground running in January, and forcing vast cultural change within CASA - needing the full and ongoing support of Warren Truss as Minister to "kick heads" where required. We can only hope that both individuals are equal to the challenge ahead of them, bringing CASA into line by the end of 2015. Perhaps I am overly optimistic? Those forum members that operate closer to this battle may choose to temper my enthusiasm...?

 

 

[dodo]

The response was clearly written or drafted by CASA.

 

It looks like the key to any change is the "SOE" (Statement of Expectations) which is a document that sets out what government expects of the CASA board.

 

SO who writes that? Getting the interest and attention (for instance, interesting them in the ongoing Jabiru engine issue and how CASA are handling it) of whoever writes the SOE would be critical to any change. I assume long term aviation industry people should know who influences and drafts that document? I would have NFI as to who to approach.

 

dodo

 

 

[dsam]

The response was clearly written or drafted by CASA. It looks like the key to any change is the "SOE" (Statement of Expectations) which is a document that sets out what government expects of the CASA board.

SO who writes that? Getting the interest and attention (for instance, interesting them in the ongoing Jabiru engine issue and how CASA are handling it) of whoever writes the SOE would be critical to any change. I assume long term aviation industry people should know who influences and drafts that document? I would have NFI as to who to approach.

 

dodo

I agree the SOE is an important document.

I can't help being impressed by the near total acceptance of the original 37 Forsyth recommendations (one rejected and 4 provisional). I compare this with how other federal major reform recommendations tend to get shelved never to be looked at again - the Henry taxation review being one of the best recent examples. Almost none of the 138 recommendations were accepted - no good reasons given IMHO.

 

 

[Chocolate]

Soe..what the? Statement of expectations huh. And how many years is that going to take to draft, consult, redraft, consult wider blah blah. And what exactly is the aviation safety outcome of that exercise? The objectives of the Act are the statement of expectation last time I looked. Section 3a if you want to look it up. Section 9 CASA functions, looks pretty clear statement of expectations to me too. (Though the casa organisation as a whole seem to have a bit if trouble with 9 1 c. 'Developing and promulgating appropriate, Clear and concise aviation safety standards.')

 

Is this Just adding another level of distance from the minister responsible for aviation in Australia to the director casa? In my humble opinion our elected representative Minister Truss should be bold and consider folding the authority back into his government department so he can control the outcomes a lot better.

 

 

[dodo]

Chocolate and dsam,

 

The government response was to say yes to all recommendations and then qualify that by saying in the explanation "no change" or "watch this space" (or "industry needs to change").

 

Where there is room for real change is where they have offered to measure or quantify any change.

 

Try reading just one of the recommendations and it's government response with a somewhat sceptical outlook and see if this makes sense,

 

dodo

 

 

[dutchroll]

Much will depend on the new Director of Aviation Safety hitting the ground running in January, and forcing vast cultural change within CASA - needing the full and ongoing support of Warren Truss as Minister to "kick heads" where required.

"Vast cultural change" is a very tall ask in large Government departments. That's the sort of stuff which takes some years to accomplish - if the pollies have the will to attack it (which they infrequently do). So yeah I agree with those who are sceptical, unfortunately!

 

 

[DrZoos]

The only thing that brings cultural change is change of people.. When we see mass sackings at the top end and mass job adverts then expect change , until the its all talk

 

 

[dsam]

The only thing that brings cultural change is change of people.. When we see mass sackings at the top end and mass job adverts then expect change , until the its all talk

Perhaps the doubters are right. But I note that the chief medical officer in CASA was shown the door quite recently. Not exactly "mass sackings" but maybe a good start?

Who knows, I might be an impossible optimist... Time will tell - hopefully not too much time, though :)

 

 

[turboplanner]

The only thing that brings cultural change is change of people.. When we see mass sackings at the top end and mass job adverts then expect change , until the its all talk

BS - you clearly haven't been lucky enough to work in a progressive and efficient Company.

If the people at the top set good policies and motivate their employees to follow them the culture improves year by year.

 

People don't change overnight, but they do respond.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...our elected representative Minister Truss should be bold and consider folding the authority back into his government department....

... a Minister be Bold? Yes Minister!

Why would a politician take responsibility for something when he can keep it at arm's length and blame the mistakes on a statutory body?

 

 

[turboplanner]

If it gets to criminal matters, arm's length won't save him; better to have made the decisions himself in good faith.

 

 

[dazza 38]

It is great to see our elected government has been proactive in reforming CASA, they have done a lot more than the previous government ever did.

 

 

[Guest john]

The Federal Governments response to the Aviation Safety Review is probably better then nothing at all, although the Australian aviation community better not hold their breath waiting for improvement within the industry.

 

There are a lot of aviators who will remember that Dick Smith & Boyd Munro some years ago attempted on behalf of the GA Industry to bring about much needed REFORM within aviation in Australia & even eventually Dick Smith became Chairman of the Nations Aviation Regulator & he even attempted to introduce sweeping reform for the betterment of aviation in Australia, so as to bring Australian aviation procedures in line with simplified USA aviation procedures, but the "old Generals" within CASA blocked many of these proposed reforms, & it is predicted that the same will occurr from hereon.

 

All one has to do to show that nothing will change for the betterment of aviation in Australia, is to locate & read several copies of the AOPA magazine of about 30-40 years ago & you will see for yourself that similar issues & brickwalls were occurring then as they are now, which indicates that this Aviation Response is nothing more than 'A SHUFFLING OF THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC'.

 

 

[kgwilson]

I agree with Turbo that change can occur from within with good policy and motivation. I know this can work well in private industry as I have been part of the process. The only difference is that the CEO takes instruction from the board who are responsible to shareholders & The CEOs head is on the block. In the case of a government department there is rarely any motivational requirement from government, just lots of words which will never come back to bite them. Apart from that they (current government) may not be there after the next election & the new government will pour scorn on their ineffectiveness & quietly leave everything as it is.

 

SOE used to stand for State Owned Enterprise now it is Statement of Expectation. If all else fails they'll change the meaning of what has been said.

 

 

[ben87r]

If nothing but this,the change in culture and,

 

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority changes its organisational structure to a

 

client-oriented output model.

 

(If the client, just happens, to mean the industry and taxpayers) I'll be happy

 

 

 

[ben87r]

Would have liked to see it become a government department again tho.