[Peetwo]

Budget Estimates 2024-25 and unanswered QON?? -

Via the RRAT Committee Budget Estimates webpages: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus..._estimates

Quote from the report - see Budget estimates 2024-25 :

Questions on notice and Hansard Transcript

1.10 In accordance with standing order 26(9)(a), the committee agreed Thursday 1August2024 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the initial hearings. The committee agreed Friday 8 August 2024 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the additional hearing.

So it would appear that Betsy, his minions and all his associated agencies have less than a week to answer all written QON and all other QON are now officially overdue...  

Hmm...so how's that working out??? Well from my calculation the total QON answered for Dicky King's department and supposedly oversighted agencies (including CASA, ATSB and ASA) is currently at a miserly 64 AQON, leaving a total of 358 QON yet to be answered (including I believe zero written QON)?? -  

Some interesting WQON...

Question on notice no. 161

Senator Bridget McKenzie: asked the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on 14 June 2024—

1. Part of the consultation was regarding bilateral service agreements and a number
of stakeholders made specific responses regarding significant improvements to TransTasman travel that could be implemented. Has the department begun work on any
specific projects to reduce barriers to trans-tasman travel?
2. Since the Minister rejected the Qatar application to increase capacity and reduce
airfares to Europe by up to 30% last year, has any further application been made by
Qatar?
3. Has any country made application to increase capacity beyond what was announced
late last year?
4. Has the department or government received any offers of open skies agreements by
another nation since being elected? which nation/s?
5. has the department provided any briefs to the Minister regarding new capacity
between Australia and any other nation since the Minister's announcement in
December?
6. Has the department modelled or done any work on removing cabotage barrier?

---

Question on notice no. 172

Senator Bridget McKenzie: asked the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on 14 June 2024—

1. Where can I find the white paper in the Budget papers?
2. What is the total cost of the project from 2023-24 through the forward estimates?
can you break it down?
3. Has the department finalised the consultation process and provided a draft to the
Minister?
4. When was the final draft submitted?
5. Has any of the outcomes from the white paper been included in the budget?

---

Question on notice no. 402

Senator Bridget McKenzie: asked the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on 1 July 2024—

1. When was the last time the tender was awarded to a different bidder?
3. The ACCC has been critical of the ownership arrangements of the slot manager,
Qantas and Virgin majority own the entity, and they are the largest beneficiaries of
the scheme, yes?
4. How can the slot manager maintain its legislative requirements and be owned by
the two largest customers?
5. How does the ACA monitors compliance with the 80:20 rule?

---

Question on notice no. 416

Senator Bridget McKenzie: asked the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on 1 July 2024—

1. How many Quarterly Reports has the Department and Minister received from
AirServices Australia in response to the new Statement of Expectations issued by the
Minister last year?
2. Has the Minister provided any written responses to AirServices Australia's
Quarterly Reports, raising concerns with the level of progress being achieved by the
agency in relation to air Traffic control staffing, flight cancellations and delays?
3. Has the Minister requested meetings with AirServices Australia in response to their
Quarterly Reports to raise concerns about progress on complying with the Statement
of Expectations?

MTF...P2

[Sandy Reith]

Senator McKenzie is on the the right track but the General aviation community needs to be asking what are the policies being developed to cause fundamental reform in order to cure the same old same old repeating ad Infinitum problems that are the hallmark of the aviation independents.
CASA, ATSB, and AirServices Australia are the high salaried monopoly fiefdoms within ‘Government Industries’ that are outside of where they should be, that is within Departments with a responsible Minister at its head.
It’s called the Westminster system of Parliamentary government.

[Peetwo]

Dicky King too little too late??

Via Oz Aviation:

Sydney slot management out to tender
August 5, 2024


The Federal Government has put slot management at Sydney Airport out to tender, a week after Rex went into voluntary administration.

Announced in February as part of a slew of government reforms, the competitive tender process will require prospective slot managers to demonstrate how they would deliver on those reforms, and “manage and mitigate conflicts of interest in a transparent way”.

The company that currently manages the slots, Airport Coordination Australia (ACA), has board representation from Qantas, Virgin, the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, and the airport itself, and was last week criticised by former ACCC chair Rod Sims.

“We are getting on with the job of delivering the reforms that were announced in February,” said Federal Transport Minister Catherine King.
“The recommendations for change were handed to the previous Government in February 2021. On coming to office, it was clear that the previous government had shown little interest in issuing a serious response to the findings.

“In contrast, the Albanese Government started the White Paper process and undertook consultation, including targeted consultation, on responding to the Harris Review. We are serious about making long term reforms to aviation in Australia that are much needed after a decade of neglect.”
Petra Popovac, CEO of ACA, has stood by her company’s reputation.

“We welcome an open tender, this is not the first open tender at Sydney,” she told Australian Aviation.

“We are exceptional at our job and are recognized globally by positions that we hold within industry advisory groups, such as the World Airport Slots Board, where I am Chair.”

The Government earlier this year announced a major package of reforms for Sydney Airport, though stopped short of ditching the controversial “80/20 rule”, which allows airlines to keep a take-off slot indefinitely as long as they operate it at least 80 per cent of the time.

“The Government has already implemented a number of these commitments including an independent audit of slot usage, with results to be released once completed; and has re-established the Compliance Committee for Sydney Airport that manages compliance with the slot regime,” the Government said in a press release.

“The reforms will be finalised with forthcoming legislation which will include changing the allocation process to free up more slots and changing the definition of ‘new entrant’ to make it easier for new airlines to obtain slots.

“Other reforms include modernising the compliance regime with penalties that address anti‑competitive behaviours, updated and strengthened enforcement tools for the Government to watch airlines more closely and take effective legal action where necessary, and requiring airlines to provide regular information on how they use slots, such as reasons for cancellations or major delays, which will be regularly published.”

And from Oz Flying:

RAAA calls for Broad Regional Focus

5 August 2024




The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has called on the Federal Government to consider the challenges facing all regional airlines in the wake of Regional Express going into voluntary administration.

Although REX was placed in administration last week, only the B737 services on trunk routes have ceased, with SAAB 340 operations into regional centres continuing. Training and charter/aeromedical operations are also not affected.

The Federal Government has been under some pressure to provide support to REX to ensure regional centres remain connected, but the RAAA says the problem is not isolated to one carrier alone.

“Aviation is the lifeblood of regional Australia and RAAA member airlines connect people, communities and businesses across our vast nation every day,” RAAA CEO Rob Walker said in a statement released today.

“Whilst Government considers the support required to ensure the continuation of essential regional air routes, the RAAA urges government to carefully consider all regional airlines that are currently servicing or are capable of servicing affected routes, and not to focus on any one individual operator."

The RAAA said it shared community concerns about the administration of REX, highlighting the plight of regional
communities serviced by the airline, and the REX staff that face an uncertain future.

"The RAAA highlights the importance of industry playing a key role in working with Government to ensure the best possible outcome for these communities, long term sustainability of regional aviation, and the Australian taxpayer," the statement says.

RAAA Chair Malcolm Sharp said the future of regional aviation required an all-of-industry approach.

"All sectors of the Australian aviation industry must step up and work together," Sharp said. "Governments, regulators, aviation agencies, airlines, airports, and industry suppliers must ensure regional aviation thrives and grows stronger for the benefit of the regional communities we serve."

The RAAA also said it hoped that the government’s long-term strategies for the aviation industry would "go beyond a focus on decarbonisation and address real cost reductions, equity in investment of training costs, ongoing removal of red tape, and consideration around the true costs of providing regional services in modern aircraft."

Last week, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said her department was looking into what could be done for REX.

"REX is an important airline for regional and remote communities and REX’s continuation is in the best interests of regional Australians, the travelling public, its workers and the aviation sector," King said.

"The government will work closely with the administrator to determine a path forward that ensures regional aviation has a strong future in this country."

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

Senate Inquiry - Impact and mitigation of aircraft noise 28/08/24: Hobart Public Hearing

Via APH website: 

28 Aug 2024
Hobart, TAS
- program
- submissions

For definitely a less emotive, more informative and common sense expert evidence provided (so far in this inquiry), please refer to the following YouTube audio segment from Shannon Wells, MD Airlines of Tasmania...

Tabled doc from SW: 

19  Cambridge Aerodrome & Airlines of Tasmania, Standard Instrument Arrival flight path maps provided by Shannon Wells at a public hearing in Hobart (received 28 August 2024)

WELL DONE THAT MAN! - 

MTF...P2