[Peetwo]

Albo's (Great White Elephant Paper) contribution to the decimation of GA industry??

Ref: If Albo gets in the GA industry is doomed

In the piece, King also pledged to commission a new white paper “to take a detailed and coordinated look at our national aviation policy framework”.

“It will address aircraft noise and airport planning, but also the future of general and training aviation and help set the sector up for a new era of competition and prosperity,” King said.

“In the absence of leadership from the current government, an Albanese Labor government will step up to work with the local community, enable their voices to be heard and chart a better future for Australian aviation,” she concluded.

So effectively Albo's aviation policy (if he manages to win the election) will be to bring back his GWEP (Great White Elephant Paper)...

The following are some extracts from a tabled parliamentary paper titled - Aviation white paper: an overview

On GA:

Regional aviation and general aviation

Regional aviation is assisted by several schemes. The white paper proposes rationalising these schemes. Under the scheme titled the Payment Scheme for Airservices Australia Enroute Charges, the Commonwealth refunds, in full, enroute navigation charges incurred by eligible regional aircraft operators across their entire networks. The scheme was introduced in 2002 as a temporary measure following the collapse of Ansett Airlines, in order to assist Ansett subsidiaries and other regional airlines to continue services. The retention of the scheme has thus become increasingly anachronistic. In the 2008–09 Budget, the Government announced that the scheme would end in 2012.[6] However, the Government has since decided to target assistance to routes that service remote towns and communities rather than entire networks.[7] This should see funds directed to areas most in need of subsidy.

There are currently four other programs for remote aviation services and infrastructure—the Remote Air Services Subsidy Scheme, the Remote Aerodrome Inspection Program, the Remote Aerodrome Safety Program, and the Remote Aviation Infrastructure Fund. The white paper proposes to consolidate these into one program.[8] This should rationalise use of funds.

General aviation has had varied fortunes of late with a flat business and private flying sector, while pilot training and recreational activity have grown. While the Government believes that no case has been made for it to intervene directly in the replacement of ageing aircraft fleets, it has introduced accelerated depreciation rates for aircraft.[9] The sector should benefit from appropriate airport development restrictions, new airspace policy and continuing regulatory reforms.

On safety:

Safety

The white paper mentions safety as of prime importance in aviation, but the subject itself is not covered until the middle of the text.[18] While the white paper concludes that safety levels have not dropped, recent events would suggest otherwise. Principally, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) reviewed Australia’s aviation safety system in February 2008 and found that there is room for improvement in specialist skill areas and maintaining expertise.[19] This is despite the fact that the majority of technical areas are well above the global average. In 2008, a major Australian airline featured prominently three times in world aviation safety reports which, despite the remonstrations of the airline and regulators concerned, must inevitably raise questions about the state of the air transport industry here.[20]

Among initiatives to address safety issues, the Government has established the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) as a statutory agency, governed by a commission, to provide greater independence to the ATSB. The commission is responsible for the functions of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 and exercising the ATSB’s investigative powers into safety events.[21] The ATSB was previously a unit within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

Air Traffic Management (ATM) is a focus of the white paper, which discusses harmonisation of civil and military air traffic control (ATC), as well as moving airspace administration into closer alignment with the ICAO’s airspace system.[22] New ATM technologies and procedures are under investigation and have been used in trials. A new Australian Airspace Statement became effective on 1 January 2010 with a focus on regular public transport service safety.[23] Ongoing requirements are proposed for civil aviation developments that may affect airspace or radar. The Government is to maintain Airservices Australia as the lead ATM and ATC agency.

The Government has announced long-term funding principles for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) but will require it to cap its direct regulatory service fees for at least five years. The current aviation fuel levy used to help fund CASA will remain in place. The white paper announced an extra $3.8 million for CASA to recruit additional specialist technical staff.[24] This may be seen as a positive response to the ICAO safety review recommendations. The long-ongoing CASA regulatory reform program is now set to end in 2011 with licensing and flight operations requirements to be finalised by the end of 2010. The Government has already established an expert board for CASA and strengthened the Authority’s powers. A new Sports Aviation Office will be established to serve the sport and recreational sector. Government oversight of CASA activity and performance should continue to be strong.

In 2010, the Government will develop and implement a State Safety Program for oversight of safety management systems within the aviation industry. ICAO has mandated that aviation operators implement such systems.[25] A wider Aviation Safety Framework underpins the complex interactions between the various parties in the aviation sector.[26]

 

In relation to the regulator funding (mentioned above) this is what occurred last time as a direct result of Albo's WEP and both the ICAO and (more importantly) FAA audit (read text insert): 



However by far and away Labor's (and it's coaltion party the Greens) most important priority, when it comes to aviation policy is contained in the following extract:

Airport planning and noise

Responding to issues concerning inappropriate building around airports, the Government is to strengthen planning arrangements, including coordination between different levels of government, and require greater transparency on intended land uses and developments at airports.[31] Planning Coordination Forums will be established for each capital city major airport.[32] Major airports will be required to establish Community Aviation Consultation Groups to enable greater local participation in airport planning and operations. Airport Master Plans will be required to focus on aviation development at secondary airports.[33] There is to be a new requirement for developments with significant community concern to pass through a Major Development Plan assessment process involving the Commonwealth.[34] There are ongoing measures with respect to wildlife and wind turbine hazards, as well as aircraft noise.

Aircraft noise over populated areas is a focus of the white paper, which mentions best practice with respect to housing policy and aviation policy to ensure that new developments near airports and under flight paths are compatible with future airport operations. This outcome does not necessarily preclude the controversial Tralee development near Canberra from proceeding, despite opposition from that city’s airport operator. Airservices Australia is to conduct a review of ways to minimise noise impacts.[35] The Government will also act to phase out older noisy aircrafts, such as ageing Boeing 727 freighters.[36] The existing curfews will remain at Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Essendon airports, but the Minister has committed to a periodic review of the need for a Brisbane curfew.[37] Airservices Australia is to have an Aircraft Noise Ombudsman to review independently public noise complaint handling procedures and the organisation’s consultative arrangements.[38] The Government will develop a framework for an industry-funded program for civil airports to ensure future insulation projects will be assessed and delivered against world’s best practice noise attenuation initiatives.[39] Despite the institution of noise insulation programs around Sydney and Adelaide Airports, and moves for a similar program in Perth, no specific initiative is mentioned.

Hmm...much, much MTF -