CASA EX24/15 - Exemption — CASR Part 137 (incendiary dropping at or above 500 feet)

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F2015L00088 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998

Exemption — CASR Part 137 (incendiary dropping at or above 500 feet)

 

Purpose

The purpose of this exemption is to renew an earlier exemption relating to aircraft operations for dropping incendiaries for controlled burning.

 

Legislation

Section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (the Act) empowers the Governor-General to make regulations for the safety of air navigation.

 

Legislation for exemption from CASR 1998

Under subregulation 11.160 (1) of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998), CASA may grant an exemption from compliance with a provision of CASR 1998, the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR 1988) or the Civil Aviation Orders (the CAOs). Under subregulation 11.160 (3) of CASR 1998, CASA may grant an exemption of its own initiative. Under subregulation 11.170 (3), in deciding whether to grant an exemption, CASA must regard as paramount the preservation of an acceptable level of aviation safety. Under subregulation 11.205 (1) of CASR 1998, CASA may impose conditions on an exemption if this is necessary in the interests of the safety of air navigation. Under regulation 11.210, it is an offence to fail to comply with a condition of an exemption. Under regulation 11.225 of CASR 1998, an exemption must be published on the Internet. Under subregulation 11.230 (1), an exemption ceases on the day specified within it (but no longer than 3 years after its commencement), or if no day is specified, 3 years after commencement.

 

Aerial application operations

Part 137 of CASR 1998 deals with aerial application operations, other than in rotorcraft. It is construed to cover the aerial application not only of water but also of incendiaries for controlled burning and other firefighting purposes.

 

Under previous instruments (CASA EX27/08, CASA EX13/10, CASA EX32/10 and CASA EX02/12), CASA has granted an exemption from Part 137 of CASR 1998 to certain operators (and their pilots) for dropping incendiaries. This was to protect the position of operators who had been in the business of incendiary dropping before the requirements of Part 137 of CASR 1998 were imposed.

 

CASA considers that, provided alternative safety risk mitigators are in place, seasonal fire fighting involving the dropping of incendiaries on behalf of an emergency control authority from, at, or above, 500 feet does not require the pilot in command or the aeroplane operator to satisfy the wide range of requirements in Part 137.

 

Australian State and Territory fire authorities, through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre Ltd (NAFC), initiated the CASA review of the regulatory regime around incendiary dropping operations.

 

Exemption

This exemption applies to incendiary dropping operations from not less than 500 feet.

It applies to the pilot and operator.

 

The pilot exemption applies only for incendiary dropping at or above 500 feet. The pilot will be exempt from all of Part 137 of CASR 1998. It is a condition that he or she must be qualified in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998 to carry out the operation.

 

The operator will also be exempt from Part 137 of CASR 1998 for incendiary dropping at or above 500 feet, but only conditionally on having detailed operations manual procedures, acceptable to CASA, for the conduct of incendiary dropping operations.

 

In substance, the exemption renews CASA EX02/12, which expires at the end of 31 January 2015. The text of the exemption varies from CASA EX02/12 to take account of the introduction of Part 61 of CASR 1998 and the consequential amendment of CAO 29.5 which is now not relevant to the operations the exemption deals with.

 

Legislative Instruments Act

Exemptions issued under regulation 11.160 of CASR 1998 are issued under subsection 98 (5A) of the Act. Subsection 98 (5AA) of the Act states that an instrument issued under paragraph (5A) (a) is a legislative instrument if it applies to a class of persons or a class of aircraft. This exemption applies to a class of persons and so is a legislative instrument and, therefore, subject to tabling and disallowance in the Parliament under sections 38 and 42 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (the LIA)

 

Consultation

Consultation under section 17 of the LIA was undertaken with the NAFC in regard to a previous exemption which is now merely being renewed. The instrument constitutes an adjustment to requirements for incendiary dropping operations for controlled burning and beneficially exempts operators and pilots from certain requirements provided compensating safety conditions are met.

 

Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR)

OBPR does not require a Regulation Impact Statement in this case because, as with the previous exemptions, a preliminary assessment of business compliance costs, in the context of the nature of the instrument, indicates that it will have only a nil to low impact on business.

 

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

A statement of compatibility with human rights is at Attachment 1.

 

Commencement and making

The instrument commences on 1 February 2015 and expires at the end of January 2017.

 

The exemption has been made by a delegate of CASA relying on the power of delegation under subregulation 11.260 (1) of CASR 1998.

 

[Instrument number CASA EX24/15]

Attachment 1

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

Exemption — CASR Part 137 (incendiary dropping at or above 500 feet)

This legislative instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the
Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

 

Overview of the legislative instrument

The exemption would adjust the requirements for incendiary dropping operations for controlled burning and beneficially exempts operators and pilots from certain requirements, provided compensating safety conditions are met.

 

Human rights implications

This legislative instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.

 

Conclusion

This legislative instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Overview

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, which were enacted to ensure the safety of air navigation as per Section 98 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988, contain provisions for granting exemptions from compliance with certain regulations. These exemptions are subject to rigorous safety considerations, as stipulated under subregulation 11.160 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has historically granted exemptions for aerial application operations, including the dropping of incendiaries for controlled burning at or above 500 feet, to protect existing operators from stringent requirements imposed by Part 137 of the CASR 1998. This exemption aims to renew previous exemptions and ensures that provided certain safety conditions are met, pilots and operators engaged in incendiary dropping operations do not need to comply with all the requirements of Part 137. The exemption is subject to tabling and disallowance in the Parliament under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 and has been deemed compatible with human rights under the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011. This legislative instrument commences on 1 February 2015 and expires at the end of January 2017.

Scope and Application

This exemption applies to aircraft operations involving the dropping of incendiaries for controlled burning conducted at or above 500 feet, specifically targeting pilots and operators engaged in these activities. The exemption aims to renew an earlier exemption, allowing operators who were involved in incendiary dropping before the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 requirements were implemented to continue their operations. It exempts pilots from all requirements under Part 137 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, provided they are qualified according to Part 61. Operators are also conditionally exempt, contingent upon having detailed operations manual procedures that are acceptable to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). This exemption applies nationally across Australia and is subject to conditions that must be met to ensure aviation safety. The exemption is a legislative instrument under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 and has been reviewed and adjusted to reflect changes in other relevant regulations. It is in effect from 1 February 2015 until the end of January 2017.

Key Provisions

The Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR 1998) exemption under consideration allows for certain aircraft operations involving the dropping of incendiaries for controlled burning, specifically when these operations are conducted at or above 500 feet. This exemption is intended to renew an earlier exemption and is applicable to both the pilot in command and the aircraft operator involved in such operations (section 11.160(1)). The pilot is exempt from all of Part 137 of the CASR 1998, provided they are qualified in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998 to carry out the operation (section 11.205(1)). The operator is exempt from Part 137 of CASR 1998, but this exemption is conditional on having detailed operations manual procedures for the conduct of incendiary dropping operations, which must be acceptable to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) (section 11.170(3)). The exemption also takes into account the introduction of Part 61 of CASR 1998 and the amendment of CAO 29.5, which is now not relevant to the operations the exemption covers. The obligations imposed by this exemption on the parties it governs are primarily centred around ensuring safety. The pilot must be qualified in accordance with Part 61 of CASR 1998 and the operator must have detailed operations manual procedures that are acceptable to CASA (section 11.160(3)). These safety measures are intended to mitigate the risks associated with incendiary dropping operations while still allowing for the continuation of these operations under specific conditions. Furthermore, the exemption must be published on the Internet and it will cease either on the specified day within it, but no later than three years from its commencement, or if no day is specified, three years after its commencement (section 11.225). Non-compliance with a condition of an exemption is an offence (section 11.210). Failure to comply with the conditions of the exemption, such as not adhering to the required qualifications for the pilot or not having acceptable operations manual procedures, may result in civil or criminal consequences. Although the specific penalties for non-compliance are not detailed in the provided text, it is noted that the exemption is subject to tabling and disallowance in the Parliament under sections 38 and 42 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (section 98(5A) and (5AA)). This legislative oversight ensures that the exemption is in line with broader legislative frameworks and maintains the integrity of aviation safety regulations. Additionally, the exemption has been deemed compatible with human rights as it does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms (Attachment 1).

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.