The Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) has called on the CASA board to appoint a new Director of Aviation Safety (DAS) with Australian aviation industry experience.
In statement released this week, AHIA said industry experience would be vital to making significant changes that it believes are necessary for genuine regulatory reform.
"The AHIA urges [the] government to encourage CASA to harmonise our regulations with other major regulatory bodies, with regard to our Australian specific operational requirements," the statement said.
"To achieve this the AHIA strongly suggests effort be spent sourcing a Director of Aviation Safety domestically, an individual ideally with a civil aviation background who understands the financial and operational impact on industry of proposed regulation changes."
The outgoing DAS, Air Vice Marshal Mark Skidmore (Ret'd), had a very strong military background, with limited civil experience.
AHIA also stated that it thought the CASA board and the government had to take notice of the recent Customer Satisfaction Survey and pause the regulation reform process until changes can be made at the top level of the organisation.
"With possibly the most industry astute CASA Board for some decades and a new industry interested Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Hon Darren Chester, the time is right for significant change," AHIA believes.
"A recent survey commissioned by the CASA Board indicated less than favourable results with the industry having little faith in the ability of the regulator to move ahead with safe, economical and meaningful regulatory reform.
"With the current confusion in industry and inconsistency of interpretation of regulations within CASA the AHIA encourages the board to instruct CASA to impose a moratorium on the current regulatory reform process until the restructuring of senior management with appropriately qualified personnel is completed.
"Additionally the entire CASA organisation is in need of clarification of direction."
CASA has already stated that it is prepared to look both domestically and internationally for the next DAS.