[Peetwo]

Harfwit: "..It's what we do.."

At this year's waypoint conference and fresh from his latest purging campaign, Harfwit declares ASA as much leaner, meaner and soon to be 'match fit' for the challenges ahead in the 21st century:

Event

Airservices CEO: Towards the new Airservices
24 Aug 2016
[/url]
Airservices Australia Chief Executive Officer Jason Harfield today detailed the important changes the organisation is making to be a more efficient and valued service provider for its customers and the greater aviation industry.

Speaking at Airservices annual industry consultation forum, Waypoint, Mr Harfield, said the pace of change at the organisation over the past seven months has been unprecedented.

“We have a great history of delivering quality services to the highest safety standards, and the work we do matters to our customers and our nation,” said Mr Harfield.
“But, no matter how far we’ve come, and how proud we are of our record, we need to continue to evolve, to adapt and to innovate.

“In March, I launched our Accelerate Program. This is the first step to deliver some fundamental improvements to allow us to operate more efficiently, to better manage assets and projects and to lay the foundations for how we will use new technology to deliver services highly valued by our customers.

“Rest assured that during this change process, we will continue to safely perform our critical air navigation and aviation rescue fire fighting roles and effectively serve, you, our customers. Of that, there is no question.

“Our customers provide the flights while we underpin those flights with the safety and other services essential for those flights.

“As aviation continues to change, so too do we at Airservices have to change to meet the future demands and expectations of the industry, of which we are a partner.”
Read a [url=https://newsroom.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/UDJEZMJ9FR.pdf]full copy of Jason’s speech.

 
If you really want to make yourself feel ill, take a read of the 11 pages of electric blue's spin & bulldust speech.
Example:

...It’s just part of what we do.

From a technology perspective in February, the Global Navigation Satellite System became the required method of primary navigation for aircraft in Australia.

And in May, we began to decommission from operational service the ageing ground navigation aids that had exceeded their operational life.

Our customers also benefited in the past year from the increased take-up of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast technology.

With more than 70 ADS-B ground stations commissioned, we now have 100 per cent of commercial aircraft operations above 29 000 feet and overall more than 4 out of every 5 instrument flight rules flights are now equipped.

We also now see over half of all instrument flight rules flights operating below 10 000 feet equipped - and although not covered by the ADS-B mandate – over 340 aircraft that operate under visual flight rules have self-equipped.

This means we’re are all reaping the safety and efficiency benefits of the most extensive surveillance coverage this nation has ever had.

Again, it’s what we do.

Also beneficial to airlines is the increase in availability of user preferred routes and ‘flextracks’ as well as developments in programs such as Airport Capacity Enhancement and Meteorological Collaborative Decision Making.

All of these achievements are something our Airservices team should be very proud of.
Again, and without being repetitive it’s what we do.

However we can’t, and we won’t, rest on our laurels.

The activities and outcomes I’ve mentioned show we are good at what we do – but as I’ve said many times now, we need to do it more efficiently.

And, that’s what the changes we’ve initiated in operating model will achieve...

 
Oh FDS can you believe this guy? - Dear Malcolm & co, just put ASA out of its misery before Harfwit totally decimates the whole box and dice -
MTF...P2 

[Gobbledock]

Jesus H Christ, what a nauseating load of pony pooh you've thrust upon us P2, courtesy of Electric Blue and other friends in the previous two posts. I was about to make love to my wife when I read this, now I fear I won't be able to perform for a decade!!

Firstly, there is always something amusing when reading about 'Subs and leaks' in the same article. It really does bring back memories of those billion dollar Collins class lemons that Australia pissed away billions of dollars on. But hey, Thales are probably just nice guys trying to do a good job, you know.

Secondly, Electric Blue's performance at Wankpoint was yet another lame example of a disconnected individual living in 'glossy brochure land', and this guy wouldn't have an effing clue about what exists outside of ASA's front door.

OI Malcolm you arseclown - carve up ASA to the highest bidder and punt these executive Muppet like individuals. Hell, your buddy Scott Morrison said today that we will be in the red for 1 trillion dollars by 2026, so get rid of all the bureaucratic million dollar managers and pay down our bills mate. Or is Australia being saddled in debt as part of the Goldman Sachs/Wallstreet white shoe brigades plans, and you are faithfully obeying them like a loyal lapdog?


TICK TOCK

[Peetwo]

Sorry Gobbles more SMH from Electric Blue Harfwit...

Doom & gloom at ASA.. , via Binger in the Oz today:

Airservices Australia to slash staff by 20 per cent

• Mitchell Bingemann
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM August 26, 2016
  
• @Mitch_Hell
  [img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/4c134add4c3a9e4881f7841b69d9ac85/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
  

Airservices Australia has confirmed it will cull 20 per cent of its staff, reducing employee numbers to levels not seen since 2010, as the air traffic overseer slashes $150 million worth of costs from its bottom line.

Jason Harfield, the chief executive of Airservices — which manages air traffic at the nation’s major airports as well as co-ordinating on-site rescue and firefighting services — has confirmed reports in The Australian that it will make 900 jobs redundant by July and reduce staff to 3600 from the current peak of 4500.

But Mr Harfield said the safety of the nation’s passenger aircraft would not be compromised by the drastic staff reductions as a “detailed and rigorous assessment” was conducted on each individual redundancy to determine any potential impact on the safety of Airservices traffic controller or aviation rescue fire fighting operations.

“We have quarantined our frontline service delivery staff from these changes,” Mr Harfield told The Australian.

“All the changes have been put through a risk assessment to make sure there is no impact on services or the safety of our services.”

About 600 jobs have already been cut from Airservices since the start of this year and another 300 are tagged to go by the end of June. “The headcount has been in excess of what we really needed. We still have a little bit more work to do to make sure some areas are as efficient as possible so you will see some further reductions,” Mr Harfield said. “We … will probably end up around the 3600 mark which is … the right capacity to focus on where we are going.”

The cuts form part of Airser­vices’ 12-month transformation program called Accelerate, which will slash 15 per cent of its costs — or about $150m — and make the organisation more efficient.

“The Accelerate program is in full swing now. The industry is as relentless as ever and the pressures aren’t waning anytime soon,” Mr Harfield said.

“This is about repositioning Airservices because where we were going was not sustainable. This is not just about refocusing the operating model but it’s also about reviewing projects and asset management to make sure they are as efficient as it possibly can be.”

Airservices will spend $185m implementing the Accelerate program. About $105m of that budget has been set aside for voluntary redundancies, $35m for project implementation costs and $45m for new technology.

While the organisation continues to pull in more than $1 billion a year in revenue from fees paid by airlines, its costs continue to eclipse its income.

The organisation has recorded a loss — its first in two decades — of more than $10m for the 2015-16 year. But Mr Harfield said the changes to Airservices would put it on track for a $20m profit next year and a $50m profit by 2018.

This would allow it to return a dividend to the government, which funds the body.
Mr Harfield laid out some of the ambitions behind its Accelerate program to industry and stakeholders at Airservices annual Waypoints powwow in Canberra this week.

“Our assets and projects refocus is a significant area for improvement. It’s clear in this area that our approach, especially in developing new projects, hasn’t been working and something needed to change,” he said.

“Assets and projects are at the core of how we deliver existing and new services to you but they can contribute significantly to our costs. And we need to manage these and extract the highest rates of efficiency.”

“All the changes have been put through a risk assessment to make sure there is no impact on services or the safety of our services.”  - Considering what's at stake here, you'd better not be cooking the books on that one Harfwit...  

ASA is now ripe for the picking I'd suggest -

"Privatisation? PICK ME! PICK ME!"


MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

It would seem that Half-inch is indeed tidying up the bookkeeping to present a nice juicy business ripe for purchasing by the highest bidder. But time will tell.

He needs to make sure that all those million dollar Consultants get their share of trough water before a fire sale takes place. Might have to also make sure those dodgy credit card purchases and other scams are sorted as well!

This video of an ASA executive meeting just rolled in. Oh dear;

OINK OINK

[Peetwo]

Albo also joins the ASA dots?? - Wonders will never cease as yesterday former miniscule for non-aviation actually mentioned the "A" word, while questioning Malcolm's intentions for AirServices Australia...

Is AirServices Australia to be privatised?

 

26th August 2016 Source: www.airservicesaustralia.com

The government’s blocking of the release of a report recommending the possible privatisation of AirServices Australia could be masking its real intentions, says shadow infrastructure, transport, cities and regional development minister Anthony Albanese.

If aviation safety isn’t a core function of government, then what is, Albanese asked today when calling on the government to explain its decision behind blocking the public release of the report.

“KPMG report recommended consideration of ‘different ownership structures’ such as ‘part-private ownership’.”

“At a Senate Budget estimates committee meeting on May 5, officials from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development revealed the government had paid consultant KMPG $600,000 to conduct an efficiency review into the department’s operations,” Albanese said.

Just a little reminder on that budget estimates hearing: Reference - Murky Mandarin & possible dodgy deals with KPMG 

“The committee heard the KPMG report recommended consideration of ‘different ownership structures’ such as ‘part-private ownership’ for AirServices Australia, which handles air-traffic control as well as other services at Australian airports including firefighting.

“This week, AirServices Australia confirmed it would slash 900 jobs from its 4500 workforce through the use of voluntary redundancies.

“I am concerned these redundancies represent an attempt to slash the organisation’s costs as a prelude to privatisation,” he said.

AirServices Australia is integral to aviation safety in Australia.

“It should remain in public ownership,” Albanese said “where the government of the day can ensure it maintains the highest possible safety standards.

“I have attempted to access the KPMG report under Freedom of Information legislation, but the government rejected my application.

“Transport minister Darren Chester should release the KPMG report as soon as possible and explain his plans to the community and the aviation industry,” he added

..If aviation safety isn’t a core function of government, then what is, Albanese asked today..

Can you believe the hypocrisy of the former miniscule who brought us McComic, Beaker, the PelAir cover-up and the Great White Elephant paper - UDB!  


MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

The wheels on the bus go round and round

Of course they are considering a fire sale. Why else would they embark on such a cost cutting exercise, apart from wanting to meet required KPI's to earn their bonuses. If the KPMG report is being hidden then it is either because of a proposed sell off or there are damning inefficiencies that have been identified and Goldman Turnbull wants them to remain hidden. Either way you have Electric Blue and the Bus Driver running the show and both of them are snakes.

And that great white waste of space Albo has sniffed this potential sale out. How? Well he is a shonky politican who knows how these games are played. He can sniff it out a mile away. It is ironic that the parasite is touting safety however. To him 'safety' is making sure that your Chairmans Lounge buffet doesn't contain toothpicks that are overly sharp.

Kharon, P2 and Thorny, grab your wetsuits boys. It's time to go deep sea diving in the giant trough. We shall have a Thale of a time!

Oink oink

[Peetwo]

ANAO wet lettuce report tabled & published -

Procurement of the International Centre for Complex Project Management to Assist on the OneSKY Australia Program

Published

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Report number: 1 of 2016-2017

Portfolio: Infrastructure and Regional Development

Entity: Airservices Australia


Summary and recommendations

Background

1. The civil air traffic management system operated by Airservices Australia (Airservices) and the separate system operated by the Department of Defence for military air traffic are both due to reach the end of their economic lives in the latter part of the current decade. The December 2009 National Aviation White Paper identified expected benefits from synchronising civil and military air traffic management through the procurement of a single solution to replace the separate systems. Under the OneSKY Australia program, Airservices is the lead agency for the joint procurement of a Civil Military Air Traffic Management System (CMATS). A Request for Tender (RFT) for the joint procurement was released on 28 June 2013. The RFT closed on 30 October 2013, with six tenders being received (including from the incumbent providers of both the Airservices and Defence air traffic management platforms).

2. On 27 February 2015, it was announced that Airservices, in partnership with Defence, would be entering into an Advanced Work contracting arrangement with the successful tenderer, Thales Australia, as a next step for the delivery of the OneSKY initiative. As at April 2016, negotiations for the finalisation of acquisition and support contracts for the provision of the combined civil-military system were ongoing.

3. At a public hearing held on 18 August 2015 as part of its ongoing inquiry in the performance of Airservices, the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee (Senate Committee) raised a number of concerns regarding conflict of interest matters in respect to Airservices’ procurement of services via the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM) to assist in the OneSKY Australia program. This audit was undertaken following requests subsequently received from the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Senate Committee that the ANAO examine Airservices’ oversight and implementation of the OneSKY program.1

4. This audit is the first in a two-stage approach to those requests. Its objective was to examine whether Airservices has effective procurement arrangements in place, with a particular emphasis on whether consultancy contracts entered into with ICCPM in association with the OneSKY Australia program were effectively administered.

5. The second performance audit will examine the conduct of the OneSKY Australia tender process from initiation to finalisation of the selection and contracting process, with a focus on the achievement of value with public resources in accordance with appropriate probity protocols. The consideration of any probity impacts on the tender process will be examined within the scope of the second audit.

Conclusion

6. A key shortcoming in Airservices’ procurement policies and procedures is that they do not give appropriate emphasis to the use of competitive processes. In addition, Airservices routinely failed to adhere to its policies and procedures in procuring services from ICCPM. As a result, Airservices’ procurement of services from ICCPM, on an exclusively sole-sourced basis, did not deliver value for money. 

7. Airservices demonstrated a lack of organisational commitment to the effective implementation of probity principles in respect to the ICCPM arrangements. It was reasonably foreseeable that Airservices’ contracting of ICCPM to assist with the OneSKY Australia project would give rise to perceptions of conflicts of interest and, potentially, actual conflicts of interest. But the ICCPM engagements were not effectively managed so as to ensure the OneSKY tender process was free of any concerns over conflict of interest that could impact on public confidence in the outcome.

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

ANAO wet lettuce report tabled & published -

Procurement of the International Centre for Complex Project Management to Assist on the OneSKY Australia Program

Published

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Report number: 1 of 2016-2017

Portfolio: Infrastructure and Regional Development

Entity: Airservices Australia


Summary and recommendations

Background

1. The civil air traffic management system operated by Airservices Australia (Airservices) and the separate system operated by the Department of Defence for military air traffic are both due to reach the end of their economic lives in the latter part of the current decade. The December 2009 National Aviation White Paper identified expected benefits from synchronising civil and military air traffic management through the procurement of a single solution to replace the separate systems. Under the OneSKY Australia program, Airservices is the lead agency for the joint procurement of a Civil Military Air Traffic Management System (CMATS). A Request for Tender (RFT) for the joint procurement was released on 28 June 2013. The RFT closed on 30 October 2013, with six tenders being received (including from the incumbent providers of both the Airservices and Defence air traffic management platforms).

2. On 27 February 2015, it was announced that Airservices, in partnership with Defence, would be entering into an Advanced Work contracting arrangement with the successful tenderer, Thales Australia, as a next step for the delivery of the OneSKY initiative. As at April 2016, negotiations for the finalisation of acquisition and support contracts for the provision of the combined civil-military system were ongoing.

3. At a public hearing held on 18 August 2015 as part of its ongoing inquiry in the performance of Airservices, the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee (Senate Committee) raised a number of concerns regarding conflict of interest matters in respect to Airservices’ procurement of services via the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM) to assist in the OneSKY Australia program. This audit was undertaken following requests subsequently received from the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Senate Committee that the ANAO examine Airservices’ oversight and implementation of the OneSKY program.1

4. This audit is the first in a two-stage approach to those requests. Its objective was to examine whether Airservices has effective procurement arrangements in place, with a particular emphasis on whether consultancy contracts entered into with ICCPM in association with the OneSKY Australia program were effectively administered.

5. The second performance audit will examine the conduct of the OneSKY Australia tender process from initiation to finalisation of the selection and contracting process, with a focus on the achievement of value with public resources in accordance with appropriate probity protocols. The consideration of any probity impacts on the tender process will be examined within the scope of the second audit.

Conclusion

6. A key shortcoming in Airservices’ procurement policies and procedures is that they do not give appropriate emphasis to the use of competitive processes. In addition, Airservices routinely failed to adhere to its policies and procedures in procuring services from ICCPM. As a result, Airservices’ procurement of services from ICCPM, on an exclusively sole-sourced basis, did not deliver value for money. 

7. Airservices demonstrated a lack of organisational commitment to the effective implementation of probity principles in respect to the ICCPM arrangements. It was reasonably foreseeable that Airservices’ contracting of ICCPM to assist with the OneSKY Australia project would give rise to perceptions of conflicts of interest and, potentially, actual conflicts of interest. But the ICCPM engagements were not effectively managed so as to ensure the OneSKY tender process was free of any concerns over conflict of interest that could impact on public confidence in the outcome.

Also via the Oz from 'that man' Higgins again :

Airservices Australia ‘did not deliver value for money’

• Ean Higgins
  
• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM September 1, 2016
  

[img=0x0]http://pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/0573acb566bb47c45e64e4c55a998aba/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]
The Australian National Audit Office has delivered a scathing ­report on Airservices Australia’s dealings with a Canberra-based organisation, saying the government-owned body “did not deliver value for money” on a $1.5 billion national air traffic control system.

In a report tabled in parliament yesterday, the Audit Office made a range of adverse findings against Airservices, which runs the nation’s air traffic management and airport fire and rescue services, in its contracting with the International Centre for Complex Project Management.

Among the findings, it paid ICCPM consultants between $1500 and $5000 for an eight-hour day to advise on the One­SKY project, which is designed to integrate the military and civilian air traffic control systems. “Overall, Airservices’ approach to contracting ICCPM to assist with the delivery of OneSKY Australia was ineffective in providing value for money outcomes,” the Audit Office says in its report.

In a statement, Airservices said it accepted all the recommendations made by the Audit Office. It added: “While Airser­vices recognises improvements can be made with respect to procurement, we have full confidence in the tender evaluation process ­established for the One­SKY Australia program and are satisfied the governance arrangements ... were extremely robust.”

 

And from Oz Aviation, where attention is drawn to the fact that ANAO has also been commissioned to conduct a follow up audit:

Airservices criticised over OneSky contracts
August 31, 2016 by australianaviation.com.au
OneSky will replace the existing TAAATS system. (Airservices)

Airservices did not follow its own policies and procedures in contracting an external company, the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM), to provide services related to the OneSky project, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has found.

At the request of the Senate Rural Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, the ANAO conducted an audit into Airservices’ oversight and implementation of OneSky, which aims to combine both the civil and military air traffic management systems into one program.

The move to have ANAO look into the matter came after a parliamentary committee in August and September 2015 raised questions surrounding the OneSky tender process, particularly after Airservices contracted ICCPM in 2012 to establish the request for tender.
Specifically, the committee heard examples that could give rise to perceptions of conflict of interest.

The ANAO report, published on Wednesday, examined whether Airservices had effective procurement arrangements in place, with a particular emphasis on whether consultancy contracts entered into with ICCPM in association with the OneSky Australia program were effectively administered.

It said Airservices did not prepare a business case for its strategic partnership with ICCMP.

Moreover, the ANAO said “no performance indicators were established to enable monitoring and evaluation of whether the partnership was delivering the expected benefits”.

“A key shortcoming in Airservices’ procurement policies and procedures is that they do not give appropriate emphasis to the use of competitive processes,” the ANAO report said.
“In addition, Airservices routinely failed to adhere to its policies and procedures in procuring services from ICCPM. As a result, Airservices’ procurement of services from ICCPM, on an exclusively sole-sourced basis, did not deliver value for money.”
In September 2015, the Senate Committee heard Steve Hein, who was for a period of time Airservices’ executive general manager of future service delivery, worked previously at ICCPM. His wife Deborah Hein is chief executive of ICCPM. In one instance, the Senate committee heard Steve Hein signed a quotation from Deborah Hein for the cost of contracting two people from ICCPM that was being forwarded to the Airservices chief executive for consideration.

Also, the then chairman of ICCPM Chris Jenkins, was at the time was the managing director of the company that won the tender as the successful supplier to commence work on the Onesky project, Thales.

The report said Airservices had agreed to pay ICCPM total fees of more than $9 million under various contractual arrangements. Daily rates for individual contractors were between $1,500 and $5,000 for an eight-hour day.

The ANAO said Airservices “demonstrated a lack of organisational commitment to the effective implementation of probity principles in respect to the ICCPM arrangements”.
It was also “common” for Airservices to depart from its documented procurement policies and procedures for the various ICCPM procurements, with internal controls “regularly bypassed”.

“Where they were applied, the controls were often ineffective,” the ANAO said.

“In addition, the records made by Airservices of each procurement decision were often perfunctory. This approach to recording decisions to spend money, together with internal controls being bypassed, contributed to a lack of transparency over the decisions to procure services from, or through, ICCPM.”

The ANAO report included six recommendations, including that Airservices “address systemic failures in the adherence to the organisation’s procurement policies and procedures and the cultural underpinnings of those failures”, improve its procurement framework and enhance its procedures for managing probity in procurement processes.
Airservices said in a statement in response to the report it had accepted all the recommendations, noting actions to address each of the recommendations were near completion.

“Airservices acknowledges it can improve its procurement processes and better manage perceived conflicts of interest,” it said.

“While Airservices recognises improvements can be made with respect to procurement, we have full confidence in the tender evaluation process established for the OneSKY Australia program and are satisfied that the governance arrangements surrounding the tender evaluation were extremely robust.”

“We look forward to progressing the implementation of Australia’s next generation civil-military air traffic management system, which is critical for the continued growth of Australia’s aviation sector.”

The full report can be read on the ANAO website.

The ANAO would also examine in a second performance audit the conduct of the OneSky tender process “from initiation to finalisation of the election and contracting process, with a focus on the achievement of value with public resources in accordance with appropriate probity protocols”.

“The consideration of any probity impacts on the tender process will be examined within the scope of the second audit,” the ANAO said.

 
Couple that with the recently released (WOFTAM bollocks) CASA Hobart Airspace (TASWAM) review:

 

OAR TASWAM review - "Nothing to see here, move along"


This AM an elephant was sighted over Hobart Skies parked at approximately 8,500 feet... - WTF?  

Oh I get it now... Read this 43 page, glossy, arse-covering, load of bollocks from, Electric Blue and the Bus Driver Sir A's rubber stamp, the CAsA Office of (NFI) Airspace Regulation and you'll get the picture... :

Aeronautical Study of Hobart 2016

Description: Draft Aeronautical Study of Hobart 2016

Download aeronautical_study_of_hobart_2016.pdf (2.4 MB)

Date modified: 29/08/2016

12. CASA RECOMMENDATIONS

CASA applies a precautionary approach when conducting aeronautical studies and therefore the following recommendations are made:

Recommendation 1:

The existing airspace classification and architecture (apart from the one CTA step lower limit change, which is already the subject of an airspace change proposal) should remain unchanged.

Recommendation 2:

CASA should continue to monitor aircraft and passenger movements and incidents at Hobart over the next 24 months to determine whether the trend for growth continues. An aeronautical risk review should then be conducted if necessary.

Recommendation 3:

To improve efficiencies and predictability, taking into account PBN requirements Airservices should continue redesign work for flight routes into and out of Hobart, make improvements to existing Terminal Instrument Flight Procedures (TIFPs) and introduce STARs into Hobart.

13. NEXT STEP

Stakeholders are requested to provide feedback on the review to oar@casa.gov.au no later than 30 September 2016. CASA will consider feedback received to be public information and will normally attribute feedback, however requests to remain anonymous will be considered.

 
To summarise here is that happy little chappy from Tassie, via the Oz...  

No-change ruling ‘courts tragedy’ at Hobart airport
Matthew Denholm
The Australian
12:00AM August 31, 2016

Australia’s air safety regulator has decided against any serious change to Hobart’s air space, prompting claims it is courting tragedy and continuing a cover-up over Tasmania’s $6 million radar system.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority yesterday released the findings of a review of Hobart’s airspace, ordered after stories in The Australian about failures in the state’s radar system, known as TASWAM. The Australian last year revealed TASWAM was not being used to control aircraft to the ground but only as an extra tool for tower controllers providing “procedural separation”, which relies on visual observation and communication with pilots.

CASA responded to criticism, and a projected 30 per cent to 40 per cent increase in passengers over the next five years, by ordering an Office of Airspace Regulation review of Hobart airspace.

The report released yesterday rejects calls by pilots and Airlines of Tasmania for TASWAM to be used as they believed it was intended: to guide aircraft to the runway, rather than to 8500 feet as occurs now. Instead, it recommends continuing with local air tower controllers using procedural sep­aration below 8500 feet, calling this “appropriate”.

Aviator Dick Smith last night said it seemed CASA was continuing a “cover-up” of TASWAM and would not act until there was a death.

And the potential huge compensation payouts for ASA run airports, with identified PFOS/PFOA contamination: 

Drink it up Freddo??- According to latest revelations, courtesy of The Saturday Paper,  apparently Murky & his Defence Mandarin mates are on a mission to lessen the liability of the Government on the more than 30 year PFOS/PFOA contamination at many Defence & civil (Airservices Australia) airports throughout Australia.

I would suggest that Murky Mandarin and the photogenic filter Dazzling Dazza, have the potential for a powerful load of shite coming down the pipe in the very near future...  

Hmm...and that's just one of the three aviation safety stooges - TICK..TOCK miniscule TICK..TOCK indeed! 


MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

Of electric blue suits, snouts in the trough and wet lettuce leaves

Firstly, the ANAO report is indeed as P2 puts it - a slap with a wet lettuce leaf. Pathetic. Maybe it is in fact just the lubricant, and the full pineapple will be inserted during the aptly named 'ANAO ASA audit part 2 - The Search for Money'? But for the moment the report is lightweight and too 'nice'. Maybe they should've got some of CAsA's Nazi auditors to have done the audit instead?

But how about this little earner;

"Among the findings, it paid ICCPM consultants between $1500 and $5000 for an eight-hour day to advise on the One­SKY project".

FFS, $5k per day, serious? What, do the Consultants also perform open heart surgery and provide their reports written on 24 carat gold bars? Aagh well, tis only taxpayer money being pissed away. Hell, you can't compensate PFOS victims but you sure as fuck can handsomely compensate Consultant mates with fat pay checks!

As for the festering firey foam issue, the funny thing is that the Gobbledock outed ASA around 2 years ago on that shitty UP website, mentioning that ASA had an over $300m slush fund set aside to contend with PFOS issues. My oh my hasn't the past 12 months in particular really heated up on this issue? $300m won't be near enough to cover a litany of claims from airports to individuals with cancer, to polluted land, waterways, rivers and estuaries, ruined farmland, ruined airport land, and the list continues. No wonder that piece of trash Pumpkin Head is trying to change the rules of the game so the guv'mint can screw people out of legitimate compensation....effing parasites.


Dear Sir An(g)us,
You've certainly gone very quiet lately you spineless oxygen thief. Been busy putting glossy brochures together? Busy hiding and hoping all the smoke will blow over? Have you been busy formulating a plan on who to throw under the bus if the audit and PFOS issues hit the fan? Maybe you've been busy getting 'match fit' and ironing Electric Blue's suits?

TICK TOCK Prime Minister, Miniscule, Sir Anus, Electric Blue, ANAO...    

[Kharon]

Ah; yes, but…

7. Airservices demonstrated a lack of organisational commitment to the effective implementation of probity principles in respect to the ICCPM arrangements.

It was reasonably foreseeable that Airservices’ contracting of ICCPM to assist with the OneSKY Australia project would give rise to perceptions of conflicts of interest and, potentially, actual conflicts of interest.

But the ICCPM engagements were not effectively managed so as to ensure the OneSKY tender process was free of any concerns over conflict of interest that could impact on public confidence in the outcome.

I’ll go with GD on this; pre lubrication in anticipation of the event.  Houstoblame has a his little goat tethered under the tree as bait while he sits in the high branches, expecting an easy scalp. The EB is not savvy enough to realise he is a sacrificial item; too self impressed to see who is the bait in the trap and far too busy running about making half asses speeches to realise that no one is really listening to the bleating of a tethered goat.

Round two will be ‘interesting’ methinks.

[Gobbledock]

Ferryman;

"Houstoblame has a his little goat tethered under the tree as bait while he sits in the high branches, expecting an easy scalp".

Well he does have a legacy of noteworthy debacles under his slippery belt;

- Toot toot all aboard example 1;
From 2001 to 2005 as Chief of Airforce there were a huge amount of sexual misconduct issues rife throughout the Force. Not to forget the billion dollar Seasprite clusterfu#k as one example of monies wasted. The Collins Class submarines, another multi billion dollar disaster was also ongoing through this time period. The bus driver slipped his way out of this, as per standard "slippery pole S.O.P's". (You can download your own copy from Willyleaks)

Toot toot all aboard example 2;
From 2005 to 2011, as Chief of Defence there were more sexual misconduct issues ripe throughout this organisation, plus the multi billion dollar MRH90 clusterfu#k. Again, issues continued with the Collins Class lemons and billions of dollars slipped down the shitter. What a surprise - the bus driver, again, slips away unscathed only to take up a cushy 'thanks mate' cream job at ASA. (An excellent read for all you avid aviator business folk who want to see how finances should not be managed)

Toot toot all aboard example 3;
Once again the 'maestro of the slippery pole' heads up yet another protected Government department as ASA Board Chairman. In this period of time there have been sackings and pineapples, credit card fraud, sexual misconduct, fraud in general, millions and millions of dollars blown, incompetents hired, profits seen to plunge, Consultant 'mates rates' and the list continues. Once again, Sir Bus Driver slips into the shadows and always seems to be MIA when a scalp is thrown under the bus! (Exciting reading for those who like to see a an organisation that has no competition and offers a service that you cannot get around paying for, have it's profit margin go from plus to minus in just a few short years for no valid reason!)

So you wonder WTF this Muppet and his kyber lickers have been doing, particularly for him to earn his personal millions over the years (paid for by you and me by the way). At least 16 years as the top dog of organisations that have lost/wasted/blown/abused billions of dollars of hard earned taxpayer coin. Not to mention the amount of rape and buggery that has also been the subject of inquiries and investigations. Oh, and did I mention the bonus of a knighthood thrown in for good measure, obviously a suggestion by some mid 20's PHD wanker in PMC positioned below the PM of the days desk?

It's any wonder the alphabet soup agencies are in such parlous shape when you look at the 'real' credentials of the 'chosen ones' running those organisations, including ASA of course..

Stay tuned for the next instalment of buggerisation and taxpayer waste when we examine; '20 years of Murky airport dealings and the chase for easy money'!

# Additional link to a 'Kangaroo court of Australia' article which also highlights some of Sir An(g)us 'successes';

https://kangaroocourtofaustralia.com/201...ct-winner/

Tick effing Tock

Tim Tam quality post.

[Gobbledock]

Tick tock Sir Bus Driver and Electric Blue

Residents near Oakey Aviation Base 'likely' ingested toxic chemicals, report finds
September 5, 2016;

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-05...on/7814204

I wonder if Sir An(g)us and Electric Blue will be the ones sent to advise the nice town folk at the next town hall meeting that the Murky Mandarin would like to interfere with and change a few laws for the sole purpose of limiting potential compensation payments??

MTF? Oh hell yeah...

[Kharon]

The Houston little ‘how to’ book.

Had a coffee with a mate yesterday; been a while so we sat a two coffee spell.  This fellah started out with two bobs worth of hope, a set of skills and very little else. Worked every hour the gods let him live and from very little has built a small business that now employs a few folk and while not making him a multi provides a very acceptable living and much satisfaction. Nice fellah.

The reason I mention it is, as I ambled home, my thoughts turned to differences between my mates modest success and the bloody dreadful pigs ear ASA have made.  How can it be that monopoly with no prospects other than a guaranteed increase in business can get into such a mess. It is, literally a licence to print money with full access to tax payer money for expansion and improvement – gov’t. guaranteed, no pressure.

Now instead of a peerless school for ATCO training; a realistically priced system of service and a modest return on the government investment we see a fiscal shambles and ‘small’ people loosing jobs, ATCO worked hard and a scramble to keep the edifice afloat. I notice very few of the ‘fat-cat’ privileged few have suffered much; the top earners, those who have engineered this masterpiece of a buggers muddle.  Why is so? Or; more to the point, why is the government allowing 'it' to remain so?  Those who created the mess, cost us the most while making the mess and have NFI of how to reverse the process are still sat there, counting their ‘super’ and bonus, while the tea lady is on the dole.

It’s about time a financially responsible government took a stand, stopped the haemorrhaging and got some folk, like my mate in; to run the business properly – or sell it off and be rid of the incubus.

Toot – toot.

[Peetwo]

Hoody leaves Harfwit with the staggers -    

Nail on head "K" -  

...The reason I mention it is, as I ambled home, my thoughts turned to differences between my mates modest success and the bloody dreadful pigs ear ASA have made.  How can it be that monopoly with no prospects other than a guaranteed increase in business can get into such a mess. It is, literally a licence to print money with full access to tax payer money for expansion and improvement – gov’t. guaranteed, no pressure.

Now instead of a peerless school for ATCO training; a realistically priced system of service and a modest return on the government investment we see a fiscal shambles and ‘small’ people loosing jobs, ATCO worked hard and a scramble to keep the edifice afloat. I notice very few of the ‘fat-cat’ privileged few have suffered much; the top earners, those who have engineered this masterpiece of a buggers muddle.  Why is so? Or; more to the point, why is the government allowing 'it' to remain so?  Those who created the mess, cost us the most while making the mess and have NFI of how to reverse the process are still sat there, counting their ‘super’ and bonus, while the tea lady is on the dole.

It’s about time a financially responsible government took a stand, stopped the haemorrhaging and got some folk, like my mate in; to run the business properly – or sell it off and be rid of the incubus...

At the last Estimates of the 44th Parliament Harfwit only played a two-bit part...

However he was left with one QON which was more than comprehensively addressed by a 212 page justification for ASA's LAHSO Ops in YMML to adopt the 'staggers'...    

Perhaps a reference to the Hansard will help explain - : :

Airservices Australia

[18:48]

Senator XENOPHON:  I want to ask about land and hold short operations at Melbourne airport. You wrote to me on 28 April 2016; there was a voluntary suspension of those night-time operations in November 2015. Has that now been reinstated?

Mr Harfield : That is correct.

Senator XENOPHON:  Can you provide the committee with details of the basis of that reinstatement of those land and hold short operations in airports?

Mr Harfield : We voluntarily suspended land and hold short operations at Melbourne last year, and as a result of that we undertook a reassessment and analysis of the procedure. In doing so, we improved the controller training in regard to what we would call compromised separation in regard to aircraft in a double go-around situation. We did further risk assessment and, included with that, a concept called the stagger was introduced. The stagger means that when we are flowing aircraft in LAHSO operations—

Senator XENOPHON:  Is the new concept the stagger?

Mr Harfield : The stagger means we ensure that the arrival over the threshold of each aircraft is staggered.

Senator XENOPHON:  It sounds like someone is over the limit, but anyway.

Mr Harfield : What it means is that the event of two aircraft—even in a go-around situation—coming to the intersection of the runway at the same time is reduced because of the fact that we have a different timing from when the aircraft are landing on the runway.

Senator XENOPHON:  Could you provide documents in respect of that to the committee in due course.

Mr Harfield : Absolutely.

Senator XENOPHON:  I previously raised a couple of specific instances where people wrote to me saying, 'I was on this flight at this time, and it looked awfully close.' Can you just remind me whether you got back to me on that.

Mr Harfield : Yes, we did: back on the questions on notice. Off the top of my head, there was one that we could track down that was due to a go-around situation from the controller, and the other one we could not actually track down.

Senator XENOPHON:  Okay. I will follow that through. Will there be an ongoing monitoring of the LAHSO?

Mr Harfield : Absolutely.

Senator XENOPHON:  Okay. Your air traffic controllers have had extra training in respect of this?

Mr Harfield : Yes.

And the AQON : 24 Airservices Australia PDF 12.9MB 14/09/2016

Senator XENOPHON: Could you provide documents in respect of that to the committee in due course.

Mr Harfield: Absolutely.

Answer:

The following safety documents which supported the reinstatement of Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO) at Melbourne Airport were provided to CASA in March 2016.

 The Safety Statement in support of the implementation of a ‘stagger’, whereby the aircraft are sequenced so that one will arrive at the threshold of one runway at a specified time before the other aircraft arrives at the threshold of the other runway to ensure segregation at the runway intersection in the event of a simultaneous go-around.

 The Safety Case in support of the development and delivery of enhanced compromised separation recovery training for Melbourne Aerodrome Controllers, which includes the procedures for manoeuvring aircraft in the event that separation is compromised due to a simultaneous go-around.

 A further risk analysis of simultaneous go-arounds during LAHSO at Melbourne, including the consideration of night time scenarios.

 A further Safety Assessment Report which demonstrated the overall safety of LAHSO (both day and nighttime operations), taking into consideration all recently implemented additional risk controls, and outlined how the ongoing safety operation of LAHSO is being closely monitored.

On the basis of the safety work, CASA agreed with Airservices assessment that night time LAHSO operations at Melbourne could safely resume. The reinstatement of LAHSO at night became effective on 22 April 2016.

Attachments

A. Melbourne LAHSO Stagger Safety Statement

B. Separation Recovery for LAHSO Night Time operations at Melbourne

C. Analysis of Melbourne LAHSO go-arounds

D. Land and Hold Short Operations Safety Assessment Report (SAR) Addendum

Well I suppose the good Senator X did ask, however I do wonder whether the answer was Hoody's parting gift to ASA...    

While on Hoody's departure & ATCO training I noted the following Aviation Aerospace Australia interview of ATS Ops TNG manager Fiona Lawton on gender equality... :
 

Beyond the Glass Ceiling

 

[Peetwo]

Cleared for the big smoke -

(Gobbles I know... ) - A somewhat related SMH article for a long weekend read... :

Fatal consequences of miscommunication between pilots and air traffic controllers

• [url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/by/Anna-Patty-hvebs][/url]Anna Patty
  

Communication failures have been blamed for more than a thousand deaths in plane crashes, warns an Australian academic who has reviewed the language pilots and air traffic controllers use.  

Dominique Estival, a Western Sydney University linguist, pilot and flight instructor has urged native English speakers to adjust their communication in the aviation industry to reduce the risk of misunderstanding by non-English speaking pilots.

Native English speakers are being urged to adjust their communication to reduce the risk of misunderstanding by non-English speaking pilots. Photo: AP

Dr Estival said she has heard pilots in Australia saying "cleared for the big smoke" when cleared for takeoff, which was potentially dangerous in a situation where they were communicating with a non-English speaker.

So-called aviation English was adopted as the international language of pilots and air traffic controllers in 2011.

Miscommunication between pilots and air traffic controllers are cited as a key reason for many aviation accidents. Photo: AP

But in her new book Aviation English, Dr Estival warns that some terms commonly used have been misunderstood, with fatal consequences.

Miscommunication had contributed to the deaths of more than 2000 people who have been killed in plane crashes since the mid-1970s.

Given that radio communication is the main means of communication between air traffic controllers and pilots, effective communication "is crucial for aviation safety".

"The study of aviation communication sheds light on our understanding of English, and differences between native English speakers and speakers of English as a second language in high risk situations," Dr Estival said. "Effective communication is paramount in ensuring the success of the global aviation industry."


The aftermath of the collision between KLM and Pan Am 747s in the Canary Islands in 1977. Photo: AP

In her book, Dr Estival said an investigation of a runway collision between two Boeing 747s in the Canary Islands in 1977 revealed the Dutch-speaking pilot's lack of English proficiency may have contributed to the accident.

The accident, involving a Pan Am jumbo and a KLM plane, claimed the lives of 583 people — making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.

A transcript of cockpit communication leading to the 1990 crash of Avianca flight 52 in New York revealed the pilot did not declare an emergency situation when he reported being low on fuel.

The plane crew reported "running out of fuel" instead of signalling an emergency situation with the words "Mayday" or "Pan Pan", another international distress signal.

"While in plain English, 'we're running out of fuel'  may sound like a declaration of emergency, in the context of controller-pilot communications, where there is a specific prescribed phraseology for the declaration of an emergency, this statement would not be interpreted as such," Dr Estival said.

The statement could, and apparently was, interpreted as a mere concern and not an emergency situation. The plane crashed after running out of fuel.

Dr Estival said other examples included the incorrect use of the words "inbound" and "outbound", saying "no" instead of "negative" or "yes" instead of "affirm" and using terms for numbers such as "nina" for nine.

"Not knowing the right terminology, phraseology and using the exact words can be deadly important," she said.

Plane crashes where poor communication may have contributed to disaster: 

• Tenerife Airport Disaster (1977): Dutch-speaking pilot's lack of English proficiency
  
• Avianca Flight 52 (1990): Did not declare an emergency when reporting it was running out of fuel.
  
• Linate Airport Disaster (2001): Poor radio communication
  
• Dan Air Flight 1008 (1980): Pilot appears to have mistaken "inbound" for "outbound" and flew in the wrong direction.
  
• American Airlines Flight 965 (1995): An air traffic controller's lack of English proficiency
  

MTF...P2

[Gobbledock]

Not a bad subject P2. Have to agree about language breakdowns causing accidents, and the Tenerrife/Capt Van Zanten accident is one of the best case studies. The arrogant Dutch prick. Anyway, I digress....

My only concern would be Dr Voodoo being involved in a working group and coming up with new phonetic type phraseology that only someone with a PHD and a penchant for playing with themselves while using big words would appreciate!

FOOTNOTE:

Van Zanten was a bit of a playboy and poster boy for KLM. Quite fancied himself as a bit of a handsome lad. Reminds me of DDDaren Chester!

[Gobbledock]

http://www.echo.net.au/2016/10/lawsuit-t...mpaigners/

Sneaky sneaky Sir An(g)us and Electric Blue, sneaky sneaky OOL airport management


Lawsuit over toxic airport foam watched by Tweed campaigners

Brisbane [AAP]

A class-action lawsuit over chemical contamination in the Queensland town of Oakey is being closely watched by campaigners in the Tweed concerned about similar contamination in Coolangatta Creek near Gold Coast Airport where the same type of chemical foam was used at a firefighting training site.

The Queensland  lawsuit is a step closer after Australia’s largest litigation funder, IMF Bentham, agreed to provide financial backing.

It is being led by Shine Lawyers principal Peter Shannon, will be brought against the Department of Defence over contamination caused by chemicals used in firefighting foam at a nearby army base.

Mr Shannon said the town had been treated with ‘callous disregard’ by the commonwealth after two years of negotiation, including a direct recommendation from a Senate inquiry that residents be compensated.

‘This agreement will provide the security and backing residents need in their fight for fair compensation and will enable us to carry a case of this magnitude through the courts,’ he said on Thursday.

Toxic firefighting foam has been leaching into the ground and water around defence sites across the country, including the Oakey Army Aviation base and in the Hunter Valley.

Queensland has already banned foam containing pollutants, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

The town’s Chamber of Commerce last month warned the ongoing saga was stopping investment and unfairly tarnishing Oakey as ‘toxic’.

The IMF agreement will indemnify litigant members against liability for the defendant’s legal costs should the claim be unsuccessful.

The majority of legal costs associated with bringing the action would be borne by IMF, with the rest being carried by Shine, Mr Shannon said.

Tweed Heads community campaigner Lindy Smith told Echonetdaily that a recent report sourced through a parliamentary FOI revealed that levels of PFOS contamination of groundwater at Coolangatta Creek near the airport were very high and worrying.

Ms Smith said federal regulatory body Air Services Australia refused to publicly release the August 2008 report on preliminary site contamination at the drill ground at Gold Coast Airport.

She also said Gold Coast Airport managers ’did not disclose for this study that the fire-fighting foam was also used on the east of the runway alongside Coolangatta Creek’.

‘As with other sites around Australia, it is the groundwater that is most impacted by the PFC contaminants which has had a devastating impact on communities,’ she said.

The report recommended that in order ‘to address the potential risk to human health and the environment posed by the identified groundwater impact, it is recommended that additional soil and groundwater monitoring for PFOS and PFOA, in identified AECs be undertaken, on completion of further soil and groundwater investigations, to further monitor the latent risk of groundwater contamination resulting from the historic use of drill ground site’.

It also recommended an upgrade of training procedures ‘to reduce possible contamination to the surrounding environment.’

One would imagine that there is MTF? Indeed......

P7 - Top post GD - if you did not already hold a key to the Tim Tam cupboard;  

[Gobbledock]

A PFOS a day keeps Sir An(g)us away

Warning - 'a Sunday twiddle about obsfucation and dirty water'.

Now the Gold Coast airport, who have been not so forthcoming themselves about ground contamination, are strangely weighing in on behalf of the Firefighters who not surprisingly are being treated like second class vermin by ASA.

The revelation that the chemicals used in firefighting at the airport previously has come as a slap in the face for firefighters.

DENIS DOHERTY, Gold Coast Sun
October 16, 2016 12:00am

A MOVE to advise construction workers on site at Gold Coast Airport to undertake blood testing for chemicals associated with a now disused firefighting foam has been described as a slap in the face for firefighters.

According to Gold Coast Airport chief operating officer Marion Charlton contractors working on site have been advised to take a precautionary approach to works in regards to PFAS and offering testing such as this would be in line with that approach.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were components of Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) which was used for firefighting at the airport until 2010, and both are suspected of being carcinogenic.

The move to test workers comes despite Airservices Australia being accused by the union which represents airport firefighters of dragging its feet when it comes to testing firefighters for the chemicals.

According to United Firefighters Union Australia Aviation Branch representative Henry Lyons the group has been pressuring Airservices Australia to activate a clause that would allow extra testing of its members.

“They have so far refused,” he said.

“Our members would have been exposed just as much or more as defence force members who have been offered blood tests.

“It’s a health and safety issue and under the legislation Airservices Australia needs to take this more seriously.”

Tugun Cobaki Alliance president Lindy Smith said the move was a real slap in the face for firefighters considering they would have been in direct contact with the chemicals for a long period of time.

“These chemicals are now globally recognised as serious contaminants with serious health and environmental impacts,” she said.

Ms Smith also slammed Airservices Australia for dragging its heels on the release of a report into the contamination around the airport.

In a statement at the time the group said results would be released in August.

“Initially there were tests in June which were to be finalised in August and now we’re into October and from Airservices own statements and documents there supposedly have been ongoing investigations since 2008 and they are still not available,” Ms Smith said.

“Also NSW authorities have got two major developments at the airport with Project Lift and the ILS where you have substantial earthworks that disturb the ground and surface water authorities have not been provided with any data.

“Residents are fed up and I’ve had a number of calls particularly from residents who live adjacent to airport.

“These people have used groundwater for decade when you look at Williamstown (Newcastle, NSW) and Oakey where warnings have been given by the Defence Department not to use groundwater and not consume produce from ground contaminated by these chemicals these people are being left in the dark and I think it’s appalling.”

Link to the article here;

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news...e4c5d438f6

So, Sir Chairman of the Board and Electric Blue Harfwit, exactly what are you two overpaid murky MrDak puppets waiting for? Why the delay in testing your own workers? Why the delay in issuing overdue reports? Why string along Gold Coast residents, airport workers and contractors? Or is this just 'Standard Government arse covering and deflection 101'?

The problem DOES exist, everybody knows it, so bite the effing bullet and reach into Malcolm's bottomless bucket of money and fix the problem once and for all. Or do you want Australia's number 1 tourist destination turning into another Oakey??

Dear Senators, please add the urgent matter of PFOS dirty water to your ever growing list of agenda items relating to the lack of Australian aviation oversight.

TICK TOCK goes the carcinogenic clock

[Peetwo]

RRAT Supplementary Estimates 17/10/2016 - Airservices

Still working on you tube videos from last night's fascinating sup estimates session and of course the Hansard is still days from being released. However I must pay respect to Senator O'Sullivan who it appears has seamlessly jumped into the very big shoes of the Heff as Chair of the RRAT Legislation committee.

Although Bazza may not be quite as colourful, as the Heff, he certainly will not be an easy touch and has already developed his own fan base from his advocacy efforts and concern with the CASA embuggerance of Jabiru aircraft...  

This respect for Bazza is highlighted by the number of views and comments on the PAIN Jabiru a/c Estimates segment:

texNoz3 days ago
Reading between the lines, it's looking like some outside influence on CASA is trying to shut down Jabiru. Whatever happened to "looking after your own"? Barry O' Sullivan is my new political hero.

---

 

Anthony Sibary8 months ago
How good is it to see an elected Public Official doing what they are elected to do and that is represent their constituents! The media is very quick to rubbish them at every opportunity...Good on you Senator Barry O'Sullivan.

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee

Supplementary Budget Estimates 2016-17

Monday, 17 October 2016

Daily summary

Here is the summary of today's proceedings in Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee’s Estimates
The committee met from 9.00am until 11.00pm
The committee called:

• the department and agencies of the Infrastructure and Regional Development portfolio, including Infrastructure Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Airservices Australia, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Australian Rail Track Corporation, the Corporate Services Division, Infrastructure Investment Division, Aviation and Airports Division and Surface Transport Policy Division.

Some areas of interest that the committee covered in the Infrastructure and Regional Development portfolio included:

• Infrastructure Australia’s priority list and cost-benefit analyses undertaken on various projects;

• The difference between Infrastructure Investment Division’s forecast 2014-15 financial year expenditure compared to the actual 2015-16 expenditure and what programs accounted for that difference;

• The restructuring of Airservices Australia’s employment base, and systems ensuring that this restructuring does not impact aviation safety;

• Airservices Australia’s response to the Australian National Audit Office’s recent report regarding the Procurement of the International Centre for Complex Project Management to Assist on the OneSky Australia program, with particular focus on probity and value for money expenditure.

Note: Because ASA CEO Harfwit was grilled for the better part of 3 hours, mainly on the ANAO 1st audit report, the ATSB will feature sometime later in the week...   

Part 1 to 5 of ASA ANAO audit report grilling...

Hmm....no comment -

MTF..P2

[Kharon]

Your forbearance, humbly requested.

So popular was Cheiro as a "Society Palmist" that even those who were not believers in the occult had their hands read by him.

The sceptical Mark Twain wrote in Cheiro's visitor's book:

“ Cheiro has exposed my character to me with humiliating accuracy. I ought not to confess this accuracy, still I am moved to do so".– Mark Twain

I too aught to confess an interest in ‘hands’. Though ‘twas Conan Doyle’s fault. Holmes fascinated the young curiosity bump (still does); the monologues on being able to tell much from a persons hand intrigued the young “K” (still does). Later in life, bored to tears, I found the Cheiro ‘study’ of hands; not the ‘fortune telling’ commercial survival malarkey, but the guide to things like ‘the murders thumb’ – or : I ramble. Point is, whether it be wrapped around a pint glass or on the controls of an aircraft; I am constantly amazed by how exact Cheiro’s studies were as to ‘character’, (refer ‘language of the hand’). HERE – “as is the mind, so is the form”. I expect you’re fed up by now, wondering if a point is going to be made. The point children, is, that ‘people’ are deceptive and if one is to survive them, then one must have yardsticks by which to weigh and measure. One of my stalwarts are hands – rarely does the form not reflect the mind within.  End of boring explanation.

And so, we must tackle the mountain of information gifted to us last evening by the RRAT committee. By what method shall we sort the Rams from the Wethers? Yet we must; if any sense of what, three hours, of political ‘push and shove’ is to be reduced to a “minute of distance run” (Kipling). A ‘basic’ thickhead, such as I, must first find the bottom, a place to stand.  I will not bore you with basic observations of all the attendees; our focus must be on the man ‘in the hot seat’, for the Senators have nothing to hide and little to loose by being wrong, or being caught behind. So we pay attention to those who have. Enter Halfwit.

‘We’ used to have a mate on the UP – traded as Half man-Half Biscuit – Half baked for short. A delightful chap altogether. But Halfwit should be rightfully dubbed Half-baked. The effect of UV sunbeds on TV colour is ‘remarkable’; the Halfwit ‘tan’ so neat and even, with that slightly purple tinge which attends the need to appear ‘youthful, tanned and vigorous’.  A skin colour akin to yet another dreadful ‘tie and suit combination’. No matter, the faux tan, the tonsorial vanity and ‘the tie’ take one on a journey – to the hands; and the use thereof.  Pick any segment P2 has kindly posted (thanks mate) click – MUTE – then watch; just watch the figure presented, particularly the hands, carefully.  Oh, it’s all there, the ‘almost’ feminine fluttering’s.  Agitation and bombast clearly defined; particularly well when ‘stretching’ to have a very thin argument believed. I’d love to play poker with this chicken, so ripe for plucking. The braggadocio, swagger and ego all betrayed by his very own hands – if you can believe such a fanciful analogy. But I know, Sterle knows; and, I’d even bet my socks – O’Sullivan has seen it many, many times before – in less salubrious, genteel surroundings.  

And so, we the people, must decide, WTF is going on. Weigh the good, if subtle work done by the ANAO, exploited and ‘vigorously’ questioned by the RRAT committee against the Halfwit defence of the same. I shall wait for Hansard. Curious to see how many times ‘core business’ is mentioned by both CASA and ASA; for it is not defined. Curious to see how many times ‘privatisation’ is raised, only to be denied – except, perhaps RFFS which will reduce the governments fiscal burden and pass it along to the travelling public – as an add on to their ‘cheap’ ticket. In this great ‘shedding’ there is no mention of increased charges for documents essential to ‘safe navigation’, or even the privatisation of producing instrument landing charts or the cost involved, to the buyer, of having ‘private’, consultant approval of same.  At the other extreme there has been none – zero mention of the increased charges which must be levied on industry to pay for this great ‘shedding’ and ‘One Shy’ and then ADSB and the consultants and the bonuses the ‘executive’ will be paid for making all this wondrous ‘new vision’, with savings, come to fruition. Just who, apart from the jobless tea lady, is paying for all of this?

Thales – phfft – a gross amateur, a bit player in the great con game which ASA are producing. Corruption simply an extra in the great production. It is, perhaps, ‘unfortunate’ that such a transparent, half baked medium was selected to deliver ‘the vision splendid’ to the Australian public.

But enough, peace, quiet and solitude are required this evening; for there is much to consider and discuss, within the great mysteries of ‘One Sky’.

Selah.