Goal 1 outcomes
To achieve Goal 1, CASA focuses its efforts on maintaining, enhancing and promoting aviation safety, as set out in the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and in accordance with all government directions. CASA’s work centres on enhancing oversight and surveillance, continuing the regulatory implementation program, continuing to reform Australian-administered airspace and continuing effective enforcement to secure compliance with safety standards.
Progress in key performance areas
CASA tracks its progress in the four key performance areas of Goal 1 against seven strategies and plans.
Strategy/plan 1.1 | Promote and enhance the application of CASA’s regulatory philosophy |
Intended outcome | Review the extent to which the principles of the regulatory philosophy are reflected in CASA practices |
On track | Actual or apparent departures from the principles of the regulatory philosophy are assessed and addressed appropriately through the surveillance and enforcement activities we conduct, the regulatory services we deliver, consultation we have with the aviation community, and the way we make and implement regulations, develop safety education and communicate. |
Intended outcome | Review and refine elements of CASA’s regulatory philosophy to ensure its continuing relevance |
Impact on deliverable | The refinement and extension of the regulatory philosophy implementation workshops was affected by a decision to give priority to the final series of Regulatory Reset training sessions. Some minor adjustments were made to the presentation material, with a view to resuming the workshop program with full industry and community involvement. Further sessions were presented in 2019–20, with the last of these conducted in February 2020. Planning for additional sessions has been suspended on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Intended outcome | Implement a plan to rationalise legislative action and regulatory processes to enable effective and timely responses to an anticipated increase in requests for advice and guidance |
On track | CASA provides dedicated policy advice and coordination to ensure that drafting instructions reflect intended outcomes. Corresponding approaches are reflected in the approach that CASA’s drafters take in preparing instruments. CASA continues to provide clear, correct and concise responses in line with the Minister’s expectations. |
Strategy/plan 1.2 | Ensure the Australian civil aviation safety regulatory regime is complete and optimised for aviation safety performance |
Intended outcome | Embed the regulatory project management approach and integrate change management |
On track | CASA implemented project management across all key regulatory change projects. This has seen an improvement in the implementation of end-to-end project management of regulatory change projects to ensure that projects are properly planned, scheduled and resourced for all project stages before substantive project commencement. CASA promulgated a project management service offering to CASA business areas to improve governance, project efficiency and organisational readiness for regulatory change. These changes enable CASA to run regulatory change projects to completion more efficiently. |
Intended outcome | Finalise and implement the last tranche of the regulatory program |
On track | The final tranche of the flight operations regulations was made in December 2019, comprising CASR Parts 103 (sport and recreation aircraft), 105 (parachuting from aircraft) and 131 (balloons and hot air airships), and bringing the long-running regulatory reform program to a close. |
Intended outcome | Finalise the standards for upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) |
On track | An amendment was made to the Manual of Standards for CASR Part 60 (synthetic training devices), which harmonised and modernised the qualification standards for flight simulators and other devices. The amendment enabled the introduction of upset prevention and recovery training, which is a global safety initiative especially targeted at the operation of larger aeroplanes. |
Intended outcome | Implement the self-administration funding model |
On track | A revised self-administration funding contribution model was implemented after consultation with self-administering organisations. The 2019–20 self-administering organisations deeds of agreement aligned with the revised funding contribution model and were distributed to the organisations. |
Intended outcome | Establish a RPAS registration and operator accreditation system |
On track | Legislation enabling remotely piloted aircraft registration and operator accreditation was made as planned in July 2019 to come into effect in November 2019. The commencement date for remotely piloted aircraft and model aircraft registration and accreditation has been deferred to |
Intended outcome | Make regulations in alignment with international and foreign standards as far as reasonably practicable considering the needs of individual sectors |
On track | CASA progressed CASR Part 43 (maintenance of aircraft in private and aerial work sectors) through industry consultation, with the technical working group report completed. The report to the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel provided general agreement with the final Part 43 policy position. A strategic communications plan from policy finalisation to legislation consultation is under development. CASA amended the Manual of Standards for Part 60 (synthetic training devices), which harmonised and modernised the qualification standards for flight simulators and other devices. The amendment enabled the introduction of upset prevention and recovery training, which is a global safety initiative especially targeted at the operation of larger aeroplanes. The development of a new continuing airworthiness regulation for current charter operators progressed during the year. A technical working group meeting was held to discuss the regulation, with agreement reached on factors for aircraft maintenance policies covering maintenance organisations, independent licensed aircraft maintenance engineer maintenance, pilot maintenance, defect reporting, certification of maintenance and release to service. A third technical working group meeting was held on 24 October 2019 and covered continuing airworthiness management and maintenance programs. Amendments to Part 66 (maintenance personnel licensing) also progressed, aiming to align more closely with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66. The self-study option closed for public consultation on 13 May 2020, with feedback yet to be analysed. |
Strategy/plan 1.3 | Improve risk based regulatory management |
Intended outcome | Ongoing improvement and implementation of a regulatory management system |
On track | The Regulatory Management System (RMS) progressed in line with the project management plan. The development of key areas scoping policy/accountability risk management, change management, and manual development was completed. The Aviation Safety Committee ratified rebranding from RMS to Civil Aviation Safety System (CASS). The IT tool within CASS, the Safety Data Collection and Processing System, was delivered at the end of 2019–20. Plans for 2020–21 will work through the CASS implementation phase. |
Intended outcome | Continue to enhance data quality to better inform safety decision makers |
Impact on deliverable | The Safety Sector Risk Profile Program has progressed 11 safety sector risk profiles, which are in various stages of completion, including documentation, consultation, content drafting and the printing phase. The program allows for shifts in timelines as the safety sector risk profiles progress to final publication. Regulatory implementation and COVID-19 priorities have impacted the program. A review of the program’s effectiveness is expected to be completed early in 2020–21. |
Strategy/plan 1.4 | Improve the client experience through the provision of regulatory and licensing services |
Intended outcome | Enhance the delivery and management of client services through the service delivery transformation program |
On track | CASA’s Client Services Centre contribution to the service delivery transformation (SDT) program deliverables is on track, including in the aircraft registration and flight crew licensing service categories. The program is on track for an aircraft registration renewal service to be delivered into the myCASA portal for release in 2020–21. The solution incorporates the proposed maximum take-off weight definitions and pricing models based on current registration requirements. SDT focused on the flight crew licensing area of CASA’s business and developed a range of digital application solutions for high-volume services. The digital solutions involve a range of validation checks that were not available previously. While providing a faster service, they also provide a higher level of integrity and, ultimately, safety. SDT delivered a myCASA industry exemptions lodgement capability in late May 2020, following executive endorsement to move quickly to provide this capability in response to industry impacts of COVID-19. CASA remains on track to deliver the flight crew licensing elements of the program, including a beta digital remote pilot licence. |
Intended outcome | Continue to modernise and refine CASA’s approach to medical certification |
On track | The review of aviation medicine, including CASR Part 67, client communications and designated aviation medical examiner assessing guidelines (clinical practice guidelines) is on track. The terms of reference, comparison between New Zealand and Australian regulation, and initial plain English version for Part 67 have been completed. An acceptable means of compliance with the Part 67 colour vision standard has been introduced through the recognition of the New Zealand operational colour vision assessment (OCVA). Development of an Australian OCVA has been delayed by the impacts of COVID-19. |
Strategy/plan 1.7 | Provide airworthiness assurance for all Australian aircraft and Australian designed and/or built aircraft operating internationally |
Intended outcome | Implement the international airworthiness strategy recognition agreements with other NAAs, maximising benefit for Australian aviation |
Delayed | A certification arrangement with EASA has been deferred by EASA. A completion date has not been agreed. There has been no progress made on a proposed maintenance agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand due to a request from the New Zealand authority to defer required activities until a later date. Preliminary discussions with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to establish a mutual recognition arrangement for the acceptance of maintenance of parts and components were scheduled to take place at the 2020 Asia-Pacific Bilateral Partners Dialogue Meeting in Singapore. This meeting was deferred by the organisers due to COVID-19 and no further progress has been made to date. |
Strategy/plan 1.6 | Develop modern enforcement strategies, policies and practices |
Intended outcome | Consistent with the objectives of the State Safety Program for Australia, continued to refine CASA’s regulatory policies and practices with a view to the promotion of an open and effective safety reporting culture |
On track | CASA developed proposed amendments to Civil Aviation Orders 82.3 and 82.5 to ensure Australia’s compliance with Amendment 1 to Annex 19 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, focusing on the protection of safety information. These changes will be incorporated into CASR Part 119 before it comes into force in 2021, and ultimately into CASR Part 5. |
Intended outcome | Amend CASR Part 13 to implement a revised enforcement framework |
On track | Revised drafting instructions for proposed Part 13 of the CASR are being finalised for referral to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel subject to the current drafting priorities of CASA and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. |
Looking ahead
- In 2020–21, CASA will develop and begin implementation of a future air navigation and airspace strategy, including the development of a national air navigation plan.
- CASA will finalise:
- CASR Part 43, the new continuing airworthiness regulations for general aviation and aerial work (incorporating operations under revised Part 91, Part 137 and Part 138), to develop a more efficient regulatory environment and reduce maintenance costs while maintaining an appropriate level of safety
- new continuing airworthiness regulations for charter operations (incorporating operations under revised Part 135 and certain operations under Part 121 and Part 133), to develop appropriate and proportionate airworthiness regulations for air transport operations.
- CASA will realign Part 21 (certification and airworthiness for aircraft and parts) with the United States’ equivalent, Federal Aviation Regulations Part 21. This will produce more internationally compatible regulation, update the design and manufacturing approvals, and incorporate improvements to more adequately cover the areas of commercial parts and medical and rescue equipment.
- The development and implementation of the Regulatory Services and Surveillance Transformation Program will be completed.
- CASA will continue to deploy components of its service delivery transformation to business-as-usual activity to yield an improved client experience and enhanced service delivery performance. This will consist of enhancements to maintenance personnel licensing as well as aircraft registration. The latter will also benefit from a planned review of Part 47 aimed at modernising Australia’s regulation of aircraft registration.
- The review of aviation medicine will continue, including a review of medical certification standards and the administration of aviation medical certificate applications. A key component of this work is a review of Part 67 and designated aviation medical examiner assessment guidelines.
Visit
https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/civil-aviation-safety-authority/reporting-year/2019-20-27