Reece

In the last Reece we mentioned that the bureaucracy overseeing civil aviation within Australia has changed its name no less than six times in the past decade and a half. Since writing that editorial we have had yet another ministerial shuffle with the result that aviation as such has now had nine changes of management in less than eight years – a situation that can only be called pathetic and certainly would not be tolerated within the boardrooms of this nation’s major corporations. Even the Opposition changed shadow ministers during the period.

How can any minister come to grips with a portfolio as sensitive and diverse as aviation and transport when he or she knows there is a fair chance that they will not be in command of that portfolio a year? The simple answer is that they can’t. To be in a position to be able to appreciate the diversity of the problems and challenges, both operationally and fiscally, that aviation is presently faced with, a minister must be a part of the aviation and transport environment for a considerable time. If he is rushed in he or she may well be overtly influenced by overbearing pressure groups representing any number of causes, will have to try and mould his inherited bureaucracy to his own way of thinking (if that is possible, which most wisely doubt) and yet is expected to come up with solutions to problems that will shape the face of aviation in this nation for a decade ahead.

We recently lost one of the most dynamic ministers in Senator Gareth Evans. While he may not have been everybody’s cup of tea, he did at least have the gumption to make a cohesive decision as to the long overdue successor to the Two Airline Policy. His efforts in gaining a major shake up in our international bilaterals will also not be forgotten lightly as will his softly, softly support for a revision of the KSA curfew. But Senator Evans has, like all before him, departed for greater things.

Replacing him is Mr Ralph Willis, one of the quietest politicians on the scene, and the surprise of the decade – his deputy is Mr Gary Punch. The swearing in of Gary Punch generally inspired a wave of unmitigated fear amongst anybody even remotely associated with aviation. The simple reason is that this politician has spent his entire political life firing broadsides at aviation and everything it stands for. His dream (as his electorate is that of Hurstville) must surely be the ultimate closure of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport at the very least. To many within the industry, he has already been titled the Minister Against Aviation, rather than the Minister For Aviation. A Charlie Jones Mkll. One GA operator at KSA likened his appointment as similar to ‘putting the cat in charge of the canaries’ – a spectre that his stated public attitude towards anything that flies would sadly seem to support! It is also worth mentioning that Mr Punch’s previous portfolio was that of Territories. As a resident of the ACT, it was educational to watch our new Aviation deputy minister (who is now presumably in charge of day to day operations) professionally sidestep every crucial issue affecting the ACT. In other words, when he departed the portfolio the very same problems existed as when he took command – if that ‘pass the buck’ attitude applies also to aviation then heaven help us. So where do we go from here?

• Yet another new and inexperienced ministerial team at a crucial period in the evolution of aviation within Australia and the region.

• Battle lines beginning to be drawn between non airline operators and the CAA and FAC over a plethora of problems that will see many of them conveniently run out of business simply because it is politically expedient to not make a hard decision.

• A capacity problem at Australia’s major airport where every grain of experience points to constructing another north/south runway yet the politicians blatantly refuse to have the gumption to face this reality. All this in the light of another runway actually having the effect of reducing noise greatly over the populated areas to the east and west of KSA – yet the subverted politics of the region not only permits but actively encourages the opposite view amongst ill-informed and naive residents.

But why should any federal minister bother to take the heat, after all, they know that probably before another winter they will be in yet another portfolio.

As KSA reaches capacity there are moves to totally ban GA, including corporate jets, from that facility even though there are times when traffic at the airport is anything but busy (refer Corporate Contrails). There are strengthening rumours that Bankstown will be sold off to developers (as per the report by the Australian Federation of Construction Contractors) who will in turn build the first stages of Badgery’s Creek at no cost to the Government. That Schofields will be closed and sold off as the DoD is now able to keep any revenue achieved from the sale of its own assets. That Hoxton Park is certain to be closed and maybe Camden too as Badgery’s eventually eats into the already claustrophobic airspace environment above our biggest city (refer Commercial Aviation Update).

Even with Badgery’s, the Government is looking at building 1000m runways that are suitable at best for single engine puddle jumpers while at no time has there been any mention of the provision of vital high speed road and rail services linking Badgery’s with Sydney’s CBD.

Aviation is in a real mess and the only people who can get it out of it, is the industry itself. At present though this is unlikely, as each individual entity- general aviation, private flyers, corporate operators and the airlines in their various levels all publicly fight amongst themselves on almost every point that is raised by the politicians. And the politicians love this, they know they don’t have to make hard decisions while a fragmented industry lacks the internal cohesiveness to be able to challenge them publicly over often unfair and absurdly inane decisions.

In New Zealand (refer NZ News) GA operators have had enough and are taking their Airways Corporation to the High Court. Perhaps we should learn from their efforts and get the long-mooted Aviation Industry Council at last operating before it is too late for many of the industry’s players. The time for taking a stand is now!