The Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) meets six times per calendar year to fulfil its obligations under Section 53 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988; to decide the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by CASA; and to ensure that CASA performs its functions in a proper, efficient and effective manner.
The CASA Board met in Melbourne on 28 February 2023 to align with the Avalon Airshow. Prior to the meeting, we attended a number of events that allowed us to engage with a range of industry representatives. The full Board attended the Avalon Airshow on 1 March and spent time on the CASA Stand with our team. We also had many productive discussions with attendees from all sectors of the aviation community and it was great to hear people’s views in a relaxed, informal setting.
This meeting was the first for our newest Board member, Jackie Korhonen. Jackie is a very experienced non-executive director and brings a wealth of experience from the Information Technology, Telecommunications, Internet, Insurance and Banking industries. She is a welcome addition to the CASA Board.
CASA Board meetings follow a theme-based agenda focusing on organisational and operational matters that affect the aviation community.
The organisational matters centred around CASA’s corporate governance, financial position, the status of major projects, cyber security issues, organisational culture, WH&S and workforce planning as well as enterprise risk. The Board received a briefing from the Chair of the People and Culture Sub-Committee and discussed matters relevant to CASA’s workforce. The Board also received standing reports from the Chair of the Board Audit and Risk Committee and the Industry Complaints Commissioner.
CASA’s use of external delegates was the subject of an internal audit report presented to the Board. This was an important piece of work as it provided the Board with assurance that external delegations are authorised appropriately in line with the relevant legislation. CASA will address some recommendations to enhance the efficient and effective management of the external delegate cohort in the future.
CASA’s Executive Management Team also provided updates on a range of operational initiatives. This included standing reports on the operational oversight activity and on aviation safety issues and trends. We received a detailed longitudinal review of accidents resulting from wire strikes involving non-air transport operators (mainly aerial agriculture and recreational operators). The findings of this important study will allow CASA to develop a targeted educational campaign to increase safety awareness for pilots. This outcome dovetails with our pilot safety education and communication campaign ‘Your safety is in your hands’ currently underway that aims to increase awareness across the piloting community of safety behaviours and attitudes, with a view to fewer accidents, incidents, and near-misses. This campaign has already delivered safety messages on non-controlled aerodromes and weather & forecasting.
The Board also received an update on work underway in CASA with operators involved in aerial fire-fighting activities as well as the agencies that co-ordinate their use in order to help deliver a nationally consistent and safe operating environment.
The Board received a brief on a number of current operational matters, including progress with the GA and forward regulatory work programs (including CASR Parts 42, 43, 61 and 145, as well as Part 67 for Class 2 medical certificates). CASA’s operational oversight reporting continues to evolve, and the Board noted the ongoing development with other Government agencies to access contemporary industry data. Aviation Safety Risk continues as the key focus area of the Board, alongside the strategic risk associated with cybersecurity.
The next meeting of the CASA Board will be held in Cairns on 20 April 2023. We intend to continue our industry outreach program and invite locally based industry participants to meet the CASA Board by hosting an informal evening event.
Air Chief Marshal (Ret’d) Mark Binskin AC
Chair, CASA Board