CASA Director of Aviation Safety Mark Skidmore had admitted the regulator could improve the way in implements new regulations.
In his CASA Briefing Newsletter for May 2015, Skidmore explained that complexity and implementation were two areas the regulator could look at doing better.
"I fully accept CASA can make improvements in both the way regulations are developed and implemented," Skidmore said. "We do start with the intention to make new regulations as clear as possible, using plain language without unnecessary complexities. We most certainly do not set out to write regulatory requirements that are hard to understand.
"But like many good intentions our goal can get lost during the journey and, for a range of reasons, the result can sometimes be regulations that are more complex than desired."
One of the things impacting the complex nature of regulation is the government requirement for legislation to comply with the federal drafting style, which by its nature tends to result in lengthy, more complex regulations. Clearly, Skidmore feels hamstrung by this.
"In short, it is not always easy or even possible to create ‘simple’ regulations. But having said that, it is CASA’s job to strive towards the goal of clarity, coherence and precision using plain and easy to understand language."
Skidmore has also admitted that the way CASA has implemented new regulations in the past could so with some improvement.
"The first is to do more work up front before the regulations are made," he said. "This may involve testing the regulatory proposals in a practical way with the aviation community or running a pilot program to ensure implementation plans are optimal.
"At all stages we need a better dialogue with the aviation community to allow us to communicate, consult meaningfully and to listen carefully to all constructive feedback. Most importantly, CASA needs to put more effort into educating and training our own people about the new regulations and their implementation so we can give clear and consistent advice to the aviation community."