CASA Media Release - 11 March 1999
Blueprint for better aviation safety services
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) today released details of its proposed new structural blueprint for the future.
The blueprint will ensure CASA delivers better aviation safety services to the travelling public and the aviation industry.
A range of important aviation safety compliance functions will be centralised.
Critical enforcement decisions such as suspensions, cancellations and prosecutions will be centrally controlled to ensure a consistent approach across Australia.
Field technical staff will also be given more freedom to concentrate on the activities of airlines, pilots and aviation maintenance organisations. At the same time administration will be simplified.
It is expected CASA's staff numbers will be reduced by a total of 72 over two years from the current level of 678.
The biggest reduction in staff numbers will be from CASA's headquarters. Overall, the majority of positions being shed will be administrative.
The main features of CASA's new structure are:
- a clearer and better coordinated approach to the setting and maintenance of aviation safety standards;
- the creation of seven area offices across Australia to better manage day-to-day safety activities;
- centralised and more accountable management to make decisions on enforcement actions against organisations and individuals;
- allowing field technical staff to concentrate on safety checking and inspecting rather than managerial and administrative duties;
- more resources for safety education and training for the aviation industry;
- a focus on monitoring aviation safety performance and identifying safety trends and risks; and
- a new emphasis on communication with the travelling public and the aviation industry.
- CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, says the restructuring will complete a process of change that began about a year ago.
Mr Toller says it was clear CASA had to improve the way it carried out its duties after a number of reports identified functional shortcomings.
"CASA has been under the spotlight for some time because mistakes had been made in the past," Mr Toller says.
"Rather than just blame individuals or events we have been working to develop a better organisation to deliver safe air travel to the Australian public through the aviation industry.
"That meant creating a better organisational structure from the top down. CASA's new top management structure has been in place since the middle of last year - now we're improving the way the rest of the organisation works.
"While the final detail of these changes will be put in place in consultation with staff, we now have a blueprint for the future.
"There is a more logical division of functions to give staff a clearer understanding of their responsibilities, while making CASA as a whole more accountable.
"Very importantly, we are centralising the enforcement decision making functions. This means the aviation industry will clearly know where the tough decisions are made and the rules will be applied evenly across the nation."
CASA's new seven area offices will be:
- Sydney Basin, at Bankstown Airport;
- NSW Country, at Canberra Airport;
- Victoria/Tasmania, airline office relocates to Tullamarine and General Aviation to Moorabbin;
- South Queensland, at Brisbane Airport;
- North Queensland, at Townsville;
- Central, at Adelaide; and
- West, at Perth Airport.
The physical relocation of offices will be phased over time as office space requirements can be met. CASA offices at Darwin, Cairns, Wagga and Tamworth remain.
CASA is consulting with the relevant trade unions on redundancy provisions for staff who are affected by the restructuring.
Media contact
Peter Gibson
ph 02 6217 1015
mobile 0419 296 446
Ref: ME9909PR