Parliament has passed legislation which will increase the excise on aviation fuel which will increase funding to CASA.
The rise in excise to 3.556 cents per litre will provide an additional $89.9 million annually to CASA. The government says that this will allow it to employ an additional 97 safety specialists, safety analysts and airworthiness inspectors to increase its surveillance of operators, provide for a permanent random drug and alcohol testing regime, and boost the resources of the Office of Airspace Regulation.
“Our large additional investment in CASA’s highly professional workforce builds on the reforms we’ve made to the organisation’s governance arrangements with the appointment of a small board of experts to oversee its strategic direction,” said Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.
Albanese had previously attacked the Opposition for its decision to refer the legislation to a Senate committee when it had already been approved by two bipartisan Senate committees.
