The training industry is almost done for in the amount of paperwork required by the regulator to operate.
- No more small operators in #aviation will be the result;
- Lose more operators from the “bush” [see the #casa release today – below]
As Senator Nash said in the Senate this week, Bill Shorten when giving his speech in reply to the budget did not once mention “…the bush..”, “…country…”, or “the sticks…”. Obviously had no idea of the importance and centrality of the larger proportion of Australia to the economy.
Is the coalition any better??
Minister Nash does not get any support from the #aviation minister. Mr. Chester does not “…get it…” when it comes to aviation.
“……The Minister’s professed lack of knowledge about the earlier radar issues at Sydney Airport (not to mention ATC issues between the adjacent Melbourne and Essendon airports) is horrifying. His two immediate predecessors were criticised for many things, but they were acutely aware of a number of issues concerning the competency of frontline Airservices staff because of training and fatigue related issues, which were highlighted by the ATSB in scathing reports into lapses in aircraft separation in Australian skies..”
This now includes Minister Fletcher who do not understand the importance of #aviation.
This situation continues when you read the #aopa release yesterday, which in part says:
“………..The protagonists are all the aviation businesses running out of Bankstown and Camden airports whose future is threatened by the plans for an airport at Badgerys Creek.
Our antagonists are both the Infrastructure and Urban Infrastructure Minister who have locked out those stakeholders from important deliberations over the future of aviation in Sydney.
Stunningly, the Australian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) was not given a seat on the Forum On Western Sydney Airport – or as I like to call it, the Friends of Western Sydney Airport, populated largely with cheerleaders and only a few people who actually treat this process seriously, including my friend and colleague the Member for Werriwa.
You cannot lock out an association like that – you only lock out an association with 3,000 members if you don’t want to hear what they have to say.
Any new airport will greatly impact the livelihoods of many general aviation businesses operating out of both Bankstown and Camden……….”
More below:
THE HON ED HUSIC MP GOES INTO BAT FOR GA

The Australian Labor Party’s, Ed Husic MP, delivered a speech to government today, calling out the Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Darren Chester MP and Urban Infrastructure Minister, Paul Fletcher MP, for denying the general aviation industry a clear seat at the table on the Forum for Western Sydney Airport (FOWSA).
Mr Ed Husic MP, Speech: Aviation Businesses Locked Out of Badgerys Talks
The Turnbull Government continues with its con-job consultation around Badgery’s Creek airport.
Here’s the latest installment of this fake consultation, with the added twist that it might actually kill off general aviation in the Sydney Basin.
The protagonists are all the aviation businesses running out of Bankstown and Camden airports whose future is threatened by the plans for an airport at Badgery’s Creek.
Our antagonists are both the Infrastructure and Urban Infrastructure Minister who have locked out those stakeholders from important deliberations over the future of aviation in Sydney.
Stunningly, the Australian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) was not given a seat on the Forum On Western Sydney Airport – or as I like to call it, the Friends of Western Sydney Airport (FOWSA), populated largely with cheerleaders and only a few people who actually treat this process seriously, including my friend and colleague the Member for Werriwa.
You cannot lock out an association like that – you only lock out an association with 3,000 members if you don’t want to hear what they have to say.
Any new airport will greatly impact the livelihoods of many general aviation businesses operating out of both Bankstown and Camden.
Of the three flight models provided in the EIS for Badgery’s Creek airport, AOPA believes two of them would effectively end all instrument flights from Bankstown airport.
Finished. Over.
That would also almost certainly spell the end of pilot training out of Bankstown airport.
Yet this association isn’t given a spot on FOWSA.
The government is engaging in fake consultation over this airport. They want to push it through without public debate.
They don’t even care about aviation businesses affected because those businesses dare to do something other than tow the government line.
The Infrastructure Minister won’t even meet with AOPA and this is a joke.
The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development is supposed to work with Airservices Australia to develop flight paths, air space management and configurations for the new airport.
But when AOPA ask Airservices Australia for information about these plans they are told to speak with the department.
When they ask the department for information about airspace planning they aren’t given any information there either.
The Coalition is only pro-business when those businesses are pro-Coalition.
In order for those businesses to plan for their future they have to be included in any planning. It’s that simple. Without inclusion they face, perhaps, closure.
The reason the department contracted out flight path development and didn’t contract Airservices Australia is to ensure that meaningful consultation was not provided for with affected communities.
The government and the department are knowingly excluding Airservices Australia because they want to build this airport to such a point it’s impossible to accommodate community concern.
They are deliberately and knowingly misleading communities – keeping them in the dark – and it will be too late to correct this when western Sydney communities realise what is actually happening.
End.
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[…] This was a pivotal meeting demonstrating that the Minister was not over his portfolio. […]