[Peetwo]

Dear Dan - L&Ks...Sandy

Reference; KC's Pacific/rest of the world Oz non-harmonisation history lesson...  

Please! - Explain.......

Given the state of play across the Pacific region, I reckon the new Minuscule could score some much needed points by asking the top brass at CASA for a comprehensive, no Pony-Pooh explanation of why, in these troubled times are we not forging closer ties with our near neighbours. The act of aligning Australia with those ICAO compliant, expanding aviation nations using the FAR/NZ regulatory system would be of value and help us to keep our fiends 'closer' - not to mention generating much needed revenue and political points at home. There is a 'history' which defines the 'when' Australia decided to go it alone - but little in the way of the 'why' along with the supporting logic. Alignment just makes good sense, on many levels, not least of which would be a serious gain in support for the government - So, if not, then why not?

History - verbatim - from the horse's mouth. Courtesy of AMROBA.

"During the 1990s, politicians, public service and CASA were all pushing harmonisation to open Australia’s civil aviation market to mainly the Pacific Rim countries by working closely with New Zealand in developing aviation regulations harmonised with the USA Federal Aviation Regulations.


Politicians and public service understood that this had to be done to create thousands of jobs and to stop high tech Australian civil aviation manufacturers from moving off-shore to have their products recognised in major civil aviation markets like the USA.


I know, because I was a CASA GM, Regulatory Reform Office for a while before I retired in early 2000. At that stage, Australia was close to signing agreements with Canada and expanding the bilateral agreement with the United States. This was based on FAR based regulations being developed in conjunction with New Zealand.


When CASA changed direction in the early 2000s, when it come under new management, New Zealand continued and, today, most Pacific Island nations and PNG adopted a close version of the New Zealand FAR based regulations.  Australia is still struggling to develop a set of regulations that would harmonise, from an industry perspective, with the FAR based system used in this region and with New Zealand.


You must be harmonised to trade freely.


The damaged done to the potential of the Australian civil aviation engineering fields of design, manufacturing and maintenance services has been immense. Today the industry cannot train personnel to international standards used by our trading countries, therefore we have a shortage of maintenance personnel outside the airline sectors. Many successful companies move off-shore because of lack of recognition globally of Australian businesses.

Industry is now subject to change that does not support harmonisation so Australia can compete on a level playing field.

Unlike NZ, Australian civil aviation businesses have to seek other nations approvals to trade in their countries.


Frustrating that the 90s approach was not continued, civil aviation is a job creating industry, properly harmonised."

Toot - toot.

Sandy's fwd email to his local member Dan Tehan et.al:

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your letter advising that you have forwarded my request to have CASA disbanded and its functions taken over by a Department of Government.

There has been a meeting, 22 June, of the Aviation Ministers of the Pacific aviation treaty group (Pacific Aviation Safety Office) of which we are a Member hosted by the the Government of the Cook Islands and attended by Minister Catherine King.

It’s evident that all the other contracting States have largely adopted the NZ regulatory regime and this confers a degree of harmonisation that we, unfortunately, cannot match.

The forwarded letter below from Mr. Ken Cannane, a retired CASA General Manager, Regulatory Reform Office, explains the situation which continues to be highly detrimental to Victoria, as a populous state with an industrial base, and Australia’s overall interests.

Please make representations on my behalf to Minister King to correct the position.

Regards,

Sandy

MTF...P2