[Peetwo]

QON answered - QON unanswered?? -   

Via RRAT Estimates page: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus...mates/rrat

 Senator RICE: I want to go to issues with Brisbane airspace design and the use of dependent separation approaches in Brisbane's airspace design. What can Airservices Australia say about whether the use of dependent separation approaches is compliant with ICAO standards? Mr Harfield: I will ask Mr Curran to answer those questions if he can. Mr Curran: If I may, I would like to take that on notice with regard to the ICAO compliance. Senator RICE: Have you done any review of whether it is compliant with the ICAO standards? Mr Curran: As a part of the process to implement the Brisbane new parallel runway, there was both a design and an implementation safety analysis undertaken. It was to assess the safety of the design and whether it could be implemented safely. It was committed to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for endorsement. Whether that actually directly linked to ICAO I would have to take on notice. 

Answer: There are two types of dependent separation approaches used for the parallel runways at Brisbane Airport – dependent parallel visual approaches and dependent parallel instrument approaches. There are no International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for dependent parallel visual approaches. Australia’s dependent visual parallel runway approach standards are set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and implemented by Airservices Australia (Airservices).

There are ICAO standards for dependent parallel instrument approaches and Airservices can confirm compliance with these standards. The dependent parallel instrument approach standards were reviewed following a change by ICAO in 2018 and updated in February 2020.

Senator RICE: In response to another question you said that Airservices did not engage another air navigation service provider to review the closed STAR option at Brisbane Airport and that no consultants were used by Airservices Australia in the flight path design work for the parallel runway airspace. Can you tell me why you did those two design changes without independent review from external experts? Mr Curran: I'll have to take that one on notice. I think the plain answer is that we have the competency and capability in-house and we're able to undertake the work ourselves.

Answer: Airservices Australia (Airservices) is Australia’s air navigation service provider, delivering world-leading services to manage the safe, orderly flow of aircraft into and out of Australia’s airspace. Airservices has the competency, skill and experience to undertake flight path design work for parallel runway airspace, as recognised by the the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) Part 173 Provider Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

And from CASA:

Following the release of the Australian Government's National Aviation Policy White Paper in December 2009, the "Significant Impact on the Local or Regional Community Guide" was launched in January 2012, which now forms part of the Airports Act 1996 s89(1)(na). a. How does CASA ensure the Significant Impact on the Local or Regional Community Guide is incorporated into its regulatory approach? b. This document is sometimes also referred to as the "Trigger" guide. It says, "Impacts may result from one element of a proposed development rather than the development as a whole. Intermittent and cumulative effects need to be considered and if the proposed development is to be undertaken in stages over a period of time, the impacts of the development once completed need to be considered, even if the potential impacts will not be evident in the first instance." (page 5). Considering the substantial changes that Airservices have implemented in the final airspace design, mode of operation, and noise abatement procedures for Brisbane, does CASA believe these changes constitute a trigger requiring the MDP and EIS to be revised and renewed as per these guidelines?

Answer:

a-b. CASA is responsible for assessing the safety of avation at and around airports for any airspace change proposal. Questions relating to Major Development Plans and Environmental Impact Statements are a matter for the airport operator, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Airservices Australia appears to have a stake in (i) the design of aviation airspace management regimes (flight paths) and airspace classification; (ii) levying of Navigation Charges and Rescue Firefighting Services to airlines, and; (iii) providing the Noise Complaints and Information Service [NCIS]. To what extent does CASA carry out regulatory oversight over Airservices Australia's operations and performance, and how does CASA manage and regulate Airservices' conflict of interest between being a commercial, incorporated entity of the government required to support increasing airspace capacity, and looking after local communities across Australia affected by aircraft noise?

Answer: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) conducts regular surveillance of Airservices Australia (Airservices) to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 and are compliant with the operating certificates issued by CASA. In addition to regular surveillance, CASA also conducts out of schedule surveillance events in response to any regulatory matters or aviation safety concerns.

The Office of Airspace Regulation was established in 2007 to separate the functions of a regulator from the service provider. CASA must ensure that any airspace changes are managed in accordance with the Airspace Act 2007 although this excludes the regulatory responsibility for aircraft noise. Aircraft noise complaints are managed directly by Airservices and the Department of Defence, with oversight by the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman.

IMO the bigger QON here is why QON 181 remains unanswered and is now overdue? 

1. In response to Committee Question Number 112, Airservices Australia said that it is regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). a. As its regulator, has Airservices informed CASA about (i) any internally raised safety concerns with regards to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) safety standards not having been applied correctly to the Brisbane airspace design, and; (ii) any Airservices' internal investigation into such safety concerns employing their in-house operational integrity and standards specialists? What has Airservices reported to CASA? b. As the regulatory authority overseeing Airservices, what has been CASA's response? c. In response to Committee Question Number 101, Airservices confirmed that, "Airservices did not engage another air navigation service provider to review the closed STAR option [at Brisbane Airport]." And further in response to Committee Question Number 105, Airservices stated, "No consultants were used by Airservices Australia in the Flight Path Design work for the parallel runway airspace [at Brisbane Airport]." - Considering the common practice by Airservices to engage external and independent "air navigation service providers on parallel runway systems and parallel runway operations from a number of countries including the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, France, United States of America and Canada" (Airservices' answer to Committee Question Number 103), why was Brisbane's airspace designed without independent review from external experts when others have been? As the regulatory body overseeing Airservices, why did CASA not insist on Airservices engaging external and independent peer reviewers considering the calibre and scale of this project and its long-term impact on Australia's third largest city? d. Did CASA conduct any of its own reviews of Airservices' design for Brisbane's airspace before it was finalised and launched? And if so, were any issues or flaws identified - either with regards to ICAO safety standards, or with regards to the stark imbalance between maximising capacity whilst minimising noise abatement outcomes for local communities?  

MTF...P2