Greg Russell, Honorary Chairman of The Australian Aviation Associations Forum (TAAAF), says that 2018 needs to be a year of action in general aviation if meaningful reform is to be achieved.
Speaking to Australian Flying yesterday, Russell also said that TAAAF had a role to play in action plans if the government chose to accept the help.
"The consultative program that's been put in place has to work and we look forward to making some big steps forward in 2018," he said.
"TAAAF stands ready to assist government to try to find solutions. Generally, there is not one solution; there is a number of causes, and therefore a number of fixes, that need to be put in place."
With the Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) GA Study now complete, and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce taking over the re-named Department of Infrastructure Regional Development and Cities, Russell believes the time for commissioning studies and reports is over.
"New minister, new year. We're hoping there will be further reform within CASA – I will certainly be encouraging it. We've had a reasonable start, but we want to see more action this coming year, and I just extend a hand to the new minister that if we can help, we stand ready to do so.
"We've got to see some serious action, and I'm hoping the industry will be prepared to stand up on issues as well, and put some effort into not just reports that takes months to prepare, but can contribute definitively to not just the debate, but to what needs to be done to fix some of these long-running issues."
TAAAF, which comprises 15 aviation associations from most sectors of the industry, is part of the CASA's Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), but is not part of the government's General Aviation Advisory Group (GAAG), which has been charged with reviewing the conclusions of the GA study.