Reece

What we are talking about is the long awaited first report of the Air Safety Regulation Review panel headed by Ray McNamara. The Air Safety Regulation Review Task Force was set up in October 1987 by the then Aviation Minister, Gareth Evans, as a means of completely rewriting the then ANOs and ANRs and resolving some of the more profound areas of almost constant friction between the CAA and industry.

To say the least, the Report is a breath of fresh air and openly takes the aviation bureaucracy to task in many areas previously considered sacrosanct. For instance, among its primary recommendations, the Task Force states that for the first time ever that safety recommendations must be considered on parallel economic grounds. In other words the real world economic impact of introducing certain safety standards or requirements often unique to Australia must be considered before carte blanche approval is given for a so-called safety standard that in real terms is literally unworkable.

To get someone within the aviation bureaucracy to actually admit that the long abused whipping horse of ‘safety’ should also have some form of cost accountability associated with it is indeed nothing short of a major breakthrough. This does not mean that safety standards are to be relaxed in blind favour of economic gain, rather bureaucrats must be able to economically justify their actions prior to them being made into law. This is a major victory for rational thinking that only the most concrete minded, career bureaucrat would object to.

Other key recommendations revolve around accountability for cancellation and suspension of a pilot’s licence. This area has in the past led to much friction where a pilot can literally be grounded on the whim of an official till proven innocent. The short and long term effects on that pilot’s career through being perhaps unjustly suspended are often extreme, while the pilot for his or her part has literally no recourse to challenge the all powerful CAA and its numerous predecessors.

The Task Force also recommends the establishment of an Aviation Advisory Committee to better liaise with industry. Considering the rapidly fomenting dissent (refer Newsdesk) aimed both at the CAA and FAC that is now emerging from the GA sector in particular perhaps this latter recommendation should be pursued with vigour.

The second Report will be issued around July/August this year and will further refine some of the items referred to in the First Report in addition to concentrating on operational matters. In all, this is a chance for those at the helm of the CAA to specifically DO something to turn the Authority around in an effort to recreate those days when the old Department of Civil Aviation was trus­ !ed, respected and was seen to work on a day to day basis WITH industry rather than against it. Australian Aviation applauds the objectives of this long overdue report and wishes Mr Ron Cooper, who has been chosen to specifically implement the recommendations of the report, the best of luck.

The other great leap forward for aviation was, of course, the decision, after years of procrastination, to finally admit that Australia’s major international gateway, Kingsford Smith Airport, must have an additional runway if Sydney is to maintain its position of pre-eminence as this nation’s Number One city.

That Aviation Support Minister Gary Punch was a casualty of the decision causes no tear shedding within the industry. Punch, it is said in Canberra, was originally only given the portfolio to keep him in his place. With a wafer thin margin of 1%, his hold on political power as the federal member for Barton come the next election could be tenuous to say the least. From all of us within the aviation industry – good riddance Gary!

If ever an issue was clouded with misinformation, then it was the KSA third runway issue: Fact is that the new 2,400m north/ south parallel runway will actually reduce noise levels over the highly populated suburbs to the east and west of KSA. This is because most movements will be in a north/south direction with the new runway being used only for landings and takeoffs over the Bay. The increase in capacity, initially stated at around 40% but now shown to be closer to ultimately double that figure, will also see only smaller propjet aircraft using the present east/west 07/25 runway. The noise difference between an overflying 727 and a Fokker 50 is significant to say the least and certainly will be a major boon for the residents.

Now that the issue is clear, the FAC can at last get on with preparing a proper integrated plan for Australia’s major airport. Australian Aviation has already seen a number of futuristic plans for what KSA will eventually become and to say the least, they represent a refreshing change to the ad hoc construction that has been a hallmark of the airport for several decades now. An all new corporate/charter area, new common user domestic terminals and a major redevelopment of the landside areas of KSA are all good news for anyone even remotely involved with Australia’s largest airport.

March 1989, one month that for once went aviation’s way.

Let’s hope there are more.