The Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, welcomed the passage of the Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment (Mutual Recognition with New Zealand) Bill 2005 Mr Truss said the…
The Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, welcomed the passage of the Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment (Mutual Recognition with New Zealand) Bill 2005 Mr Truss said the passage of this legislation is a significant step forward in meeting Australia`s joint commitment with New Zealand to foster closer economic ties.
This is a commitment which goes back as far as 1983 and was further cemented in the 1996 Single Aviation Market Arrangements, Mr Truss said.
Under the legislation, eligible airline operators will be able to use aircraft in Australia and New Zealand without the need to be issued with Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) from both civil aviation authorities. This will cut down on red tape and will be achieved through a new type of certificate, known as an AOC with ANZA privileges.
Mr Truss said mutual recognition will deliver savings to operators through the removal of unnecessary regulatory hurdles.
The Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment Bill will mean greater opportunities for Australian operators, allowing them more flexibility and to become more competitive in the trans-Tasman market. Together with the opportunity of passing savings onto Australian travellers, there is also the potential for greater choice in airlines.
Most importantly, this Bill maintains Australia`s excellent standard of aviation safety. Australia has one of the best records in aviation safety in the world and the Howard/Vaile Government has worked hard to maintain that. Operators flying under AOCs with ANZA privileges will still have to comply with all the laws and rules of the air applicable to the country they are operating in. This includes aviation security requirements.
Mr Truss highlighted the stringent measures in the Bill to stop airlines from shopping around for a regulator of choice and he pointed to the fact that both Australia and New Zealand have robust aviation safety systems.
While there may be some differences in detail, the safety standards in Australia and New Zealand are compliant with international requirements and achieve the same safety outcome. Measures have been built into this Bill to ensure that safety is maintained at the current high levels. The regulator able to most effectively monitor the activities of the operator will undertake safety oversight of airlines operating with ANZA privileges. The only change is that airlines will no longer have to duplicate regulatory processes in order to operate in both countries, Mr Truss added.
The Australian Government always has and always will put the safety of the Australian public first. Provisions in the Bill for close cooperation between the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand will ensure this continues well into the future, Mr Truss concluded.
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