EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statement of Expectations for Airservices Australia
from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025
Issued by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Air Services Act 1995
Outline
This Statement of Expectations (SoE) is issued as a notice addressed to Airservices Australia (Airservices) under subsection 17(1) of the Air Services Act 1995 (the Act).
Subsection 17(1) of the Act provides that the Minister may notify Airservices in writing of the Minister’s views on Airservices’ appropriate strategic direction, and the manner in which Airservices should perform its functions.
This SoE outlines the Minister’s expectations of Airservices for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025, and replaces the current SoE issued on 21 June 2021.
Airservices is expected to comply with relevant legislation and to keep the Minister and the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) informed of Airservices’ actions in relation to this SoE, and events and issues that impact on Airservices’ operations.
The SoE includes sections on governance, strategic direction and manner of performance, service level, key initiatives and stakeholder engagement.
Airservices was consulted prior to finalising this SoE.
Notices issued under section 17(1) of the Act are a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2003. Item 2 in the table contained in section 10 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015 provides that notices given under subsection 17(1) of the Act are legislative instruments not subject to disallowance.
Details of the SoE are set out in the Attachment.
Authority: Subsection 17(1) of the Air Services Act 1995
ATTACHMENT
Details of the Statement of Expectations
Section 1: Overview
This section sets out the name of the legislative instrument, its duration, its replacement of the current SoE, and the statutory context in which the instrument operates.
Section 2: Governance
This section sets out the Minister’s expectations of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airservices, including effective management of Airservices’ resources, capabilities, strategic direction, risks, corporate planning, operations and organisational capacity.
It is expected that Airservices will keep the Minister and the Department informed of its actions in relation to the SoE, and promptly consult in relation to material risks, events and issues.
This section outlines the Minister’s expectation that Airservices will provide the Minister and the Department with quarterly progress reports against the Corporate Plan, the SoE, and any reasonable additional reporting as requested, and that Airservices will invite the Minister, a delegate or a nominated Departmental official to an annual strategic meeting to discuss Airservices’ performance.
Section 3: Strategic direction and manner of performance
This section sets out the Minister’s expectations regarding Airservices’ strategic direction and manner of performance of its key functions, statutory requirements, financial monitoring and international obligations.
Section 4: Service Level
This section sets out the Minister’s expectations regarding the level of services delivered by Airservices across its Air Traffic and Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Services. This includes requirements for Airservices to act in accordance with relevant legislation and the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (the CASRs).
Section 5: Key Initiatives
This section sets out the Minister’s expectation that Airservices will focus on key initiatives outlined within this section, and the manner in which Airservices will fulfil its related obligations.
Section 6: Stakeholder Engagement
This section details the Minister’s expectations that Airservices will effectively, productively and regularly engage with stakeholders and keep them informed of critical information, such as Air Traffic Service disruptions, and actions being taken to address the causes of such disruptions.
This section also outlines specific contributions and engagement activities the Minister expects Airservices to undertake, and the manner in which these should be performed.
As this legislative instrument is not subject to disallowance, no Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights is required, as per section 9 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011. Accordingly, no such Statement has been prepared.
30 June 2023
The Hon. Catherine King MP
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government