[Peetwo]

Day 15 - Ballina Band-Aid.  

 "..nothing to see here, move along..!"  

IMO the following is a classic example of bureaucratic obfuscation rule 101, where the bureaucrats (in this case CASA & ASA) concede some ground to the protagonists (in this case the growing ranks of the IOS). They then precede to put in a Band-Aid fix (Ballina airspace), while stating that they were always fully aware & informed, long before the protagonists came along (see *1 quote)...

By that happy chappy from Tassie, courtesy of the Oz:

Safety win: CASA pushes changes at ‘near-miss’ Ballina airport  

• by: Matthew Denholm
  
• From: The Australian
  
• July 25, 2015 12:00AM
  

Tasmania Correspondent
Hobart

Airspace safety will be tightened at Ballina airport, following at least 11 recent incidents in which aircraft strayed closer to each other than is deemed safe.  

The recommendations of a Civil Aviation Safety Authority report, released yesterday, include the introduction of a ground-based radio service to guide pilots — vindication of a wave of safety concerns raised in The Australian over recent weeks.

A rapid increase in commercial passenger traffic to the NSW northern rivers town of Ballina has caused congestion in uncontrolled airspace.

A CASA review of airspace above Ballina Byron Gateway Airport reveals there were 11 “separation-related incidents” — planes flying closer to each other than is deemed safe — between 2009 and last year.

All involved a “breakdown in communication” as an increasing number of aircraft communicate with each other to avoid collision below 8500 feet.

The report identifies a lack of “discipline” in the use of radio by pilots and the sheer volume of radio messages due to “congestion” at the airport, where scheduled passenger flights have increased 27 per cent in just five years.

“When compared with other similar locations, Ballina had the greatest number of communications incidents,” the report concluded.

“The provision of a third-party radio service … would be ­expected to reduce this number …. and … may also have a positive ­effect on the number of separation incidents.”
As well as calling for a ground-based radio service to be introduced by the end of June next year, the report recommends Airservices Australia extend radar control closer to ground level.

Currently, radar controllers in Brisbane monitor and direct aircraft to 8500 feet. The report recommends extending radar controlled airspace down to 6500 feet.

This partly addresses the concerns of the Virgin Independent Pilots Association, which had ­expressed frustration that radar at Ballina and some other regional airports was not being used to its full potential.

The report says Airservices should consider introducing an Aerodrome Flight Information Service — high-standard telecommunications operated by an air traffic controller — “as a precursor” to the provision of full air traffic control with a local tower.

“CASA should continue to monitor movement numbers at Ballina with a view to designating Ballina as a controlled aerodrome as soon as the risk to traffic warrants it,” the report says.

It says the measures would be “a proactive response” to a further rapid rise in passengers, with trends suggesting numbers will exceed 500,000 a year by the end of next year.

Airservices yesterday committed to implementing the final ­recommendations, due after a consultation period closes on ­August 7.

“We welcome the report — this has been a matter of discussion, particularly in the last few weeks, and we are supportive of the recommendations,” said Airservices spokesman Rob Walker.

“Once the report is finalised we will make whatever changes are required of our operations.”

He said Airservices had been involved in providing data and the views of air traffic controllers to assist CASA with the report.


*1"..He rejected any suggestion Airservices chairman Angus Houston had played a role in pushing forward the report, ­following the recent calls by pilots and others in the aviation ­industry for greater control of ­regional airspace and CASA chairman Jeff Boyd flagging a shift in that direction.


Both Airservices and CASA said the report was in line with their approach of reviewing airspace safety when there were ­increases in air traffic at certain airports or changes to the mix of aircraft type.."


The report also reveals stakeholders, which include pilots and air traffic controllers, are concerned about the risk of flying foxes striking aircraft at Ballina.

“Stakeholders reported wildlife (flying foxes) as the greatest threat to safety,” the report says. “That was supported by incident data.”

However, communications problems were significant compared with similar airports and the report noted Ballina Byron Gateway was being expanded to accommodate growth.

Weekends, and in particular Sundays, were already prone to congestion, with the number of both passenger services and general aviation, such as smaller private aircraft, increasing.

 
Ok so Boyd & the Board have effectively followed through on part of their promise as outlined - in a yet to be published - Board directive.
From the Oz article - Radical overhaul to deliver safer skies:

..The sweeping new initiatives were revealed to The Weekend Australian by newly appointed CASA chairman Jeff Boyd in his first media interview since taking up his appointment last week. “We have become inward looking, but we’re just a dot in the world community,” Mr Boyd said. “We need to look outside of Australia.”

The new moves offer a promise to fix an air traffic control system judged by many in the aviation industry to be not as safe as it could be outside the major cities — and by some, including Mr Smith, to be dangerous...

...Mr Boyd said he would encourage a lowering of the floor of controlled airspace, known as cate­g­ory E, at airports on a case-by-case basis. “Let’s see where we can do E where we have reliable air traffic control surveillance,” he said.


Mr Boyd would not discuss spec­ifics, but The Weekend Australian can reveal CASA will recommend such a move for Ballina.

It is expected to recommend that the controlled airspace around Ballina be lowered from 8500 feet to 5000 feet, and that the airport install a radio operator to help pilots with local weather and air traffic inform­ation, something the airport’s management is keen to do...

So reasonable start JB but don't sit on your hands just yet, there is still much promised and much to be done...  
 
Oh & could you please...please publish the Board response (SOI) to the minister's SOE & that Board directive??

..Mr Boyd said he would sponsor a board directive to management to see if it could free up what the industry describes as absurdly tight rules, restricting what ground staff who are not serving or former air traffic controllers can provide pilots over the Unicom radio in the way of weather and traffic information. “If it’s used as supplementary flight safety information, we have no argument against it,” he said...

 
Finally JB could you tell Pinocchio to pull his finger out & update the CASA website..FCOL

CASA Board


Board role
The CASA Board is appointed by the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development.

The Board is responsible for deciding the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by CASA and for ensuring that CASA performs its functions in a proper, efficient and effective manner.

Board members

• Dr Allan Hawke AC - Chair
  
• Mr Jeff Boyd - Deputy Chair
  
• Mr Trevor Danos AM
  
• Ms Anita Taylor
  
• Mr Ian Smith AM
  
• Mr Murray Warfield
  
• Mr Mark Skidmore AM - The Director of Aviation Safety
  

CASA Board Contact

CASA Board Secretariat Brian Calder
PO Box 2005
CANBERRA ACT 2601

MTF..P2