Albo mentions the A-word? - UDB! 
BJ is yet to acknowledge aviation and aviation safety are part of his portfolio responsibility? However I note that today in Parliament Albo has drawn a very rare partisan line in the sand on matters of aviation safety...
Via Federation Chamber Hansard:![[Image: pdf.gif]](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/images/icons/pdf.gif)
Download Fragment ![[Image: video.gif]](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/images/icons/video.gif)
Watch ParlView Video
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/sear...%2F0000%22
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler) (12:13): I move:
That this House:
(1) declares:
(a) its support for the vital work performed each and every day by the highly trained professionals providing aviation rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) services to ensure the safety of the flying public;
(b) that the ARFF service is particularly important to the safe operation of airports in regional Australia where it also responds to non-aviation emergencies within its local communities; and
© that the presence of the ARFF service is key to safeguarding the safety and security at major metropolitan and regional airports around the country, which is critical for international and domestic tourism; and
(2) calls on the Government to reject any proposal to increase the threshold for the provision of ARFF services at airports from the existing 350,000 passenger movements annually, noting that this would preclude the establishment of these services at Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport and lead to the removal of these services from the following regional communities: Ballina; Coffs Harbour; Ayres Rock; Gladstone; Hamilton Island; Broome; Karratha; Newman; and Port Hedland.
Firefighting services at our nation's airports are critical to the safety of travellers. Our nation has an excellent record when it comes to aviation safety. We also have a strong commitment to investment in the emergency services that would be necessary in the event of an accident. Indeed, in 2009, as transport minister in the Labor government, I was proud to deliver a $70 million program to upgrade fire trucks at our nation's busiest airports. It included 33 new trucks, new fire stations at Perth and Maroochydore, new vehicles to meet the needs of the A380 and fire alarm monitoring at 20 locations nationwide.
Safety is also critical at our smaller regional airports. In 2014, the aviation rescue and firefighting services responded to some 6,700 calls relating to airport emergency assistance. That's why I today, through this motion, am calling upon the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to reject the absurd proposal for a reduction in firefighting capacity at regional airports. Current Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations require an aviation fire and rescue service at every Australian airport that has at least 350,000 passengers travelling through it each year. However, CASA has recently accepted recommendations from an infrastructure department aviation rescue and firefighting services regulatory policy review which would weaken this standard. Going forward, the threshold would rise to 500,000 passenger movements a year. This idea makes no sense. The minister for transport should reject it today in the interests of safety and regional economic development. Under the international standards and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization, aviation firefighters are specifically trained. They must be stationed to be able to respond within three minutes to an aircraft crash or fire for the best chance of rescue. Our existing standards and thresholds on provision of aerodrome rescue and firefighting services reflect Australia's commitment to ICAO standards and recommended practices, including article 9.2.1, which provides that rescue and firefighting equipment and services shall be provided at an aerodrome.
Let's look in practical terms at what the acceptance of this proposal would mean for regional communities that rely upon jobs in tourism and regional aviation to get access to capital cities. Here are some airports that have aviation rescue and firefighting services and are below the 500,000 passenger threshold: Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Ayers Rock, Gladstone, Hamilton Island, Broome, Karratha, Newman and Port Hedland. I understand that, under pressure from local communities and Labor, the government's considering maintaining firefighting services at these airports and then imposing a new threshold from here on in. That, of course, would be good for those airports and communities that have fought to maintain these services, including, of course, the union that represents them. However, it would lead to a two-tiered system. In the future, airports with passenger movements between 350,000 and 500,000 per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities. Other airports are on the cusp of meeting this criterion, including Proserpine. It should have an aviation firefighting service established because 353,000 passengers passed through that airport last year. The government must today state clearly that the Proserpine airport will be provided with rescue and firefighting services. Just make a decision and support this community.
The change being contemplated should be rejected. Anyone who has had the privilege of being a minister in a government knows that, from time to time, bad ideas come forward from the bureaucracy. Some of them, once rejected, keep coming back again and again. This is one of those ideas. It first came to my attention when I was a minister and I banished it. It was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now. These are issues upon which the minister for transport, who's new to the portfolio, needs to deliver. The fact is that, across the board, issues of aviation safety—the safety of the travelling public—have been bipartisan issues. That needs to continue to be the case. The minister should rule out these proposals today and do it urgently in the interests of those communities, in the interests of firefighting in Australia and in the interests of regional economic development in those communities.
Knowing Albo's track record of 'do nothing' and 'leaving it to the experts' in matters of aviation safety - ref: Three-peat: The Empire (CASA Iron Ring) strikes back. - does anyone else feel themselves reaching for the bucket (
) when you read some of those motherhood statements and weasel words??
"...Our existing standards and thresholds on provision of aerodrome rescue and firefighting services reflect Australia's commitment to ICAO standards and recommended practices..."
P2 comment - That'd be the commitment that under your watch as minister saw the notified differences to the ICAO SARPs more than triple in number to a peak of 4024 (reference: Mount NCN post #8)
Where's BJ?
"...The fact is that, across the board, issues of aviation safety—the safety of the travelling public—have been bipartisan issues. That needs to continue to be the case..." - Hmm...I get the impression that Albo is trying to goad BJ.
Oh well it looks like the fat bloke from NQ is providing top cover - - for BJ on this particular partisan motion.
Reference the Hansard link & also via the Whitsunday Times:
Christensen lets fly over airport safety concerns
5th Feb 2018 12:46 PM
![[Image: b881209777z1_20180205131510_000g4jvcreu2...20x465.jpg]](https://media.apnarm.net.au/media/images/2018/02/05/b881209777z1_20180205131510_000g4jvcreu2-0-9ji6b7gnyjzsx0lzpp2_fct2256x1692x100_ct620x465.jpg)
The Whitsunday Coast Airport. Dane Lillingstone
CLAIMS of reduced airport safety services in the Whitsundays is "totally false" according to Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen.
Mr Christensen shot down the claims of Labor MP Anthony Albanese in Canberra today, that airport rescue and fire-fighting services on Hamilton Island would be cut and that Proserpine would be unable to establish a service.
In his speech to the Federation Chamber today Mr Albanese stated the LNP Government would implement a tiered system that would mean airport receiving 350,000 and 500,000 passengers per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities.
"However, it would lead to a two-tiered system. In the future, airports with passenger movements between 350,000 and 500,000 per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities," he said.
"Both of these claims by Labor on cuts to airport fire and rescue services at Hamilton Island and Proserpine are false," Mr Christensen said.
"They were false two years ago when they first raised them and they're false now.
"When the United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch first brought this to my attention, I followed up with the Minister, to ensure that services in my electorate would not be cut."
Mr Albanese said the Whitsunday Coast Airport near Proserpine was "on the cusp the cusp of meeting this criterion" as it received 350,00 passengers a year.
"It should have an aviation firefighting service established because 353,000 passengers passed through that airport last year.
The Government must today state clearly that the Proserpine airport will be provided with rescue and firefighting services," Mr Albanese said.
He called on the LNP to reject changes that would deprive the Whitsunday Coast Airport of aviation firefighting services.
"Just make a decision and support this community," he said.
Mr Christensen said the information was clear that existing services "would remain untouched".
"Also untrue is the claim that Proserpine's Whitsunday Coast Airport will be unable to establish an Aviation Rescue and Fire-Fighting Service," he said.
"The establishment of services at Proserpine is already underway, and I understand that the case will be presented to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority this week.
"Therefore, the services at Proserpine will not be affected by changes.
The only thing I agree with Anthony Albanese on in relation to airport firefighters is that they do a great job.
"And I look forward to welcoming new aviation firefighters when services come online at the Whitsunday Coast Airport."
MTF...P2
BJ is yet to acknowledge aviation and aviation safety are part of his portfolio responsibility? However I note that today in Parliament Albo has drawn a very rare partisan line in the sand on matters of aviation safety...
Via Federation Chamber Hansard:
Download Fragment Watch ParlView Videohttp://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/sear...%2F0000%22
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler) (12:13): I move:
That this House:
(1) declares:
(a) its support for the vital work performed each and every day by the highly trained professionals providing aviation rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) services to ensure the safety of the flying public;
(b) that the ARFF service is particularly important to the safe operation of airports in regional Australia where it also responds to non-aviation emergencies within its local communities; and
© that the presence of the ARFF service is key to safeguarding the safety and security at major metropolitan and regional airports around the country, which is critical for international and domestic tourism; and
(2) calls on the Government to reject any proposal to increase the threshold for the provision of ARFF services at airports from the existing 350,000 passenger movements annually, noting that this would preclude the establishment of these services at Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport and lead to the removal of these services from the following regional communities: Ballina; Coffs Harbour; Ayres Rock; Gladstone; Hamilton Island; Broome; Karratha; Newman; and Port Hedland.
Firefighting services at our nation's airports are critical to the safety of travellers. Our nation has an excellent record when it comes to aviation safety. We also have a strong commitment to investment in the emergency services that would be necessary in the event of an accident. Indeed, in 2009, as transport minister in the Labor government, I was proud to deliver a $70 million program to upgrade fire trucks at our nation's busiest airports. It included 33 new trucks, new fire stations at Perth and Maroochydore, new vehicles to meet the needs of the A380 and fire alarm monitoring at 20 locations nationwide.
Safety is also critical at our smaller regional airports. In 2014, the aviation rescue and firefighting services responded to some 6,700 calls relating to airport emergency assistance. That's why I today, through this motion, am calling upon the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to reject the absurd proposal for a reduction in firefighting capacity at regional airports. Current Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations require an aviation fire and rescue service at every Australian airport that has at least 350,000 passengers travelling through it each year. However, CASA has recently accepted recommendations from an infrastructure department aviation rescue and firefighting services regulatory policy review which would weaken this standard. Going forward, the threshold would rise to 500,000 passenger movements a year. This idea makes no sense. The minister for transport should reject it today in the interests of safety and regional economic development. Under the international standards and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization, aviation firefighters are specifically trained. They must be stationed to be able to respond within three minutes to an aircraft crash or fire for the best chance of rescue. Our existing standards and thresholds on provision of aerodrome rescue and firefighting services reflect Australia's commitment to ICAO standards and recommended practices, including article 9.2.1, which provides that rescue and firefighting equipment and services shall be provided at an aerodrome.
Let's look in practical terms at what the acceptance of this proposal would mean for regional communities that rely upon jobs in tourism and regional aviation to get access to capital cities. Here are some airports that have aviation rescue and firefighting services and are below the 500,000 passenger threshold: Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Ayers Rock, Gladstone, Hamilton Island, Broome, Karratha, Newman and Port Hedland. I understand that, under pressure from local communities and Labor, the government's considering maintaining firefighting services at these airports and then imposing a new threshold from here on in. That, of course, would be good for those airports and communities that have fought to maintain these services, including, of course, the union that represents them. However, it would lead to a two-tiered system. In the future, airports with passenger movements between 350,000 and 500,000 per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities. Other airports are on the cusp of meeting this criterion, including Proserpine. It should have an aviation firefighting service established because 353,000 passengers passed through that airport last year. The government must today state clearly that the Proserpine airport will be provided with rescue and firefighting services. Just make a decision and support this community.
The change being contemplated should be rejected. Anyone who has had the privilege of being a minister in a government knows that, from time to time, bad ideas come forward from the bureaucracy. Some of them, once rejected, keep coming back again and again. This is one of those ideas. It first came to my attention when I was a minister and I banished it. It was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now. These are issues upon which the minister for transport, who's new to the portfolio, needs to deliver. The fact is that, across the board, issues of aviation safety—the safety of the travelling public—have been bipartisan issues. That needs to continue to be the case. The minister should rule out these proposals today and do it urgently in the interests of those communities, in the interests of firefighting in Australia and in the interests of regional economic development in those communities.
Knowing Albo's track record of 'do nothing' and 'leaving it to the experts' in matters of aviation safety - ref: Three-peat: The Empire (CASA Iron Ring) strikes back. - does anyone else feel themselves reaching for the bucket (
) when you read some of those motherhood statements and weasel words?? "...Our existing standards and thresholds on provision of aerodrome rescue and firefighting services reflect Australia's commitment to ICAO standards and recommended practices..."
P2 comment - That'd be the commitment that under your watch as minister saw the notified differences to the ICAO SARPs more than triple in number to a peak of 4024 (reference: Mount NCN post #8)
Quote:4024 notified differences for Australia?? Recently I had collated from the 2015 AIP GEN 1.7 SUP that notified differences had grown to a total of 3116. However in actual fact between the 2011 SUP the figure had grown to 4024 but due to the loose ICAO arrangement of only listing NDs every 3 years this was missed. So from my approximate estimate from 2011 to 2014 the NDs had grown by 2500.
Where's BJ?
"...The fact is that, across the board, issues of aviation safety—the safety of the travelling public—have been bipartisan issues. That needs to continue to be the case..." - Hmm...I get the impression that Albo is trying to goad BJ.
Oh well it looks like the fat bloke from NQ is providing top cover -
- for BJ on this particular partisan motion.Reference the Hansard link & also via the Whitsunday Times:
Christensen lets fly over airport safety concerns
5th Feb 2018 12:46 PM
The Whitsunday Coast Airport. Dane Lillingstone
CLAIMS of reduced airport safety services in the Whitsundays is "totally false" according to Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen.
Mr Christensen shot down the claims of Labor MP Anthony Albanese in Canberra today, that airport rescue and fire-fighting services on Hamilton Island would be cut and that Proserpine would be unable to establish a service.
In his speech to the Federation Chamber today Mr Albanese stated the LNP Government would implement a tiered system that would mean airport receiving 350,000 and 500,000 passengers per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities.
"However, it would lead to a two-tiered system. In the future, airports with passenger movements between 350,000 and 500,000 per year would not be provided with firefighting facilities," he said.
"Both of these claims by Labor on cuts to airport fire and rescue services at Hamilton Island and Proserpine are false," Mr Christensen said.
"They were false two years ago when they first raised them and they're false now.
"When the United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch first brought this to my attention, I followed up with the Minister, to ensure that services in my electorate would not be cut."
Mr Albanese said the Whitsunday Coast Airport near Proserpine was "on the cusp the cusp of meeting this criterion" as it received 350,00 passengers a year.
"It should have an aviation firefighting service established because 353,000 passengers passed through that airport last year.
The Government must today state clearly that the Proserpine airport will be provided with rescue and firefighting services," Mr Albanese said.
He called on the LNP to reject changes that would deprive the Whitsunday Coast Airport of aviation firefighting services.
"Just make a decision and support this community," he said.
Mr Christensen said the information was clear that existing services "would remain untouched".
"Also untrue is the claim that Proserpine's Whitsunday Coast Airport will be unable to establish an Aviation Rescue and Fire-Fighting Service," he said.
"The establishment of services at Proserpine is already underway, and I understand that the case will be presented to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority this week.
"Therefore, the services at Proserpine will not be affected by changes.
The only thing I agree with Anthony Albanese on in relation to airport firefighters is that they do a great job.
"And I look forward to welcoming new aviation firefighters when services come online at the Whitsunday Coast Airport."
MTF...P2