13 May, 2008

Aviation Trends And Safety Risks Identified

Imtiaz Muqbil

A new report by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has identified the local and international trends expected to influence safety over the next three to five years.

In this dispatch: With the Australian Tourism Exchange due to be held in Perth during June 14-20, Travel Impact Newswire continues a regular new series of special reports on Australia. As with the hugely popular India reports, these stories will provide a wider perspective on social, cultural, environmental developments in that multi-cultural country, especially those that impact on travel & tourism.

1. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IN RESPONSE TO TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE DISPATCH HEADLINED: “PATA’S CEO CHALLENGE: A LOOK BEHIND THE HYPE”

2. AVIATION TRENDS AND SAFETY RISKS IDENTIFIED

3. UNIVERSITY TAKES VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVE

4. MEASURES TO STEP UP TRANS TASMAN TRAVEL, TRADE AND SECURITY

5. OFFSHORE TAX EVADERS URGED TO COME CLEAN, MAY GET INDEMNITY

6. $3.45 MILLION TO BOOST LOCAL CAPACITY TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

7. CHINA, JAPAN TOP TRADE PARTNERS FOR AUSTRALIA

8. SPACE ‘SENTINEL’ TO MONITOR ASIA-PACIFIC DISASTERS

9. NEW DIRECTIONS FOR AUSTRALIAN SPORT

10. FIRST TRAINING CENTRE SET UP FOR OIL AND GAS WORKERS

11. NEW PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE W.A. SKILLS SHORTAGES

12. PROGRAM TO STUDY EMERGING RURAL ISSUES

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1. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IN RESPONSE TO TRAVEL IMPACT NEWSWIRE EDITION 37 HEADLINED: PATA’S CEO CHALLENGE: A LOOK BEHIND THE HYPE

FROM JOHN SEMONE, FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST, PATA

Your report on PATA’s CEO Challenge was most interesting and, as I am sure many former PATA staff members would agree, (PATA President and CEO) Mr. Peter de Jong successfully “threw out the baby with the bath water” by not having a look at PATA’s past and taking time to consult with previous leaders such as (Lakshman) Ratnapala and (Jerry) Picolla, who have organized many outstanding PATA events. Having done so, Mr. de Jong could have prevented many of the pitfalls you have described.

While I believe it is necessary to look for new and updated approaches to holding conferences and addressing problems of the industry, Mr. de Jong failed to recognize that PATA had already positioned itself with environmental and sustainable tourism issues within the Asia Pacific region under the PATA Green Leaf Program. As a matter of fact, during our last conference in Malaysia, I purposely brought in for the sustainable tourism session, the top man from WWF in Brussels to address the issue of climate change and the impact it would have on tourism.

It may also be of interest to your readers that for two years running, the PATA Sustainable Tourism Committee produced a booklet with numerous Best Practices on sustainable and responsible tourism being carried out by members within Asia Pacific. And there were many outstanding examples of what positive projects were being carried out by members within the region. Asia Pacific thinking, not western ideas.

I also note that Mr. de Jong indicated that the results of the event would be “very carefully communicated to the Chapters.” I regret to say that, as a result of the harsh rules imposed on Chapters by (former PATA President) Joe McInerney and Peter de Jong a few years back (at that time 80 Chapters and over 16,000 tourism industry members world wide) there are very few Chapters left to communicate to. And those Chapters that remain have, for the most part, lost all respect for leadership from Bangkok.

While certain change was necessary when Mr. de Jong assumed leadership, he has overlooked the importance of reviewing and learning from the past and maintaining some of the strong traditional and proven aspects of PATA. Change for the sake of change has weakened what was once the one, if not the, most respected tourism associations. From the readings of Confucius I quote “Study the past if you would divine the future.”

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FROM AMITABH KANT, FORMER SECRETARY TOURISM, INDIA, AND FORMER MEMBER OF THE PATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Truly brilliant! Great analysis.You are bang on. My compliments.

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FROM ARJAN BUFFING, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WIN-WINASIA.COM: That was a lot of negativity from your side. However, it reflects a bit why I personally never fancied much to join PATA anyway. I can agree to bring it down a bit much and to really get every member of the industry involved from the bottom up. Maybe an opportunity for a new generation? With more open communication and to roll up sleeves and try to get something done what will be workable and understandable for all. Let’s see to what it will evolve but if it becomes interesting perhaps I am ready to participate.

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FROM MOHD ALI, PACIFIC WORLD TRAVEL, KUALA LUMPUR: Congratulations! Great write-ups. Sometimes the industry needs guys like you to bring out the non-result oriented issues to the foyer. Keep up the good work and not just write praises and goodies unnecessarily.

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FROM RHETT LEGO, CEO, THE CONJOINT MARKETING GROUP:

A most cutting, honest and insightful editorial. I cringed often, but read eagerly. I have not written for a while but felt that this week’s epistle warranted some positive response in the hail of critique that is potentially the contents of your mail bag this week.

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2. AVIATION TRENDS AND SAFETY RISKS IDENTIFIED

9 May 2008 – A new report by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has identified the local and international trends expected to influence safety over the next three to five years. The trends relate to unprecedented global demand for aviation services, manufacturing and technological developments, increased security and greater environmental awareness.

Issues identified in the report will feed into industry/CASA working groups and will contribute to the development of the Government’s National Aviation Policy or White paper, which was announced in April 2008 by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Mr Anthony Albanese.

CASA CEO Bruce Byron says, “It is no longer acceptable to rely solely on incident or accident data in an attempt to predict future risks to aviation safety,” Mr Byron says. “A range of representatives and organisations contributed to the report and were asked to consider the greatest safety risks the aviation industry will need to address over the coming three to five years.

“Participants were asked to look beyond organisational level issues and instead consider matters of a ‘whole of industry’ nature, focusing on the priority area of passenger-carrying operations. The most consistently identified broad trends were global demand for aviation services, environmental change awareness and initiatives, aircraft, systems and technology and international instability and security.

“While it is appropriate for CASA to address some of the risks identified in the report, a number of the issues will require an industry-wide approach. The industry/CASA working groups will be a valuable input to the Government’s aviation policy development process announced in April.

“The business of identifying real safety solutions – where action is not already underway – will be the focus of future work. While Australia continues to enjoy a world-class aviation safety record, we must remain vigilant.” Mr. Byron said. The full report is available on the CASA website.

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3. UNIVERSITY TAKES VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVE

06 May, 2008 – Sydney’s Macquarie University and Australia Volunteers International have set up a new partnership to create the Global Futures Program, a “mini peace corps” designed to give undergraduate students the chance to do volunteer work overseas. As part of an overhaul of the university’s curriculum, all undergraduate students will undertake some form voluntary work after 2010.

“This is a great initiative that clearly shows Macquarie University’s commitment to social inclusion and equality,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Senator Ursula Stephens. “Encouraging students to become involved in volunteering will ensure they achieve a much more well-rounded education, as well as greater social awareness.

“The Government believes active participation – such as voluntary work – underpins community wellbeing and fosters strong, inclusive societies,” said Senator Stephens. “Volunteers make enormous economic and social contributions to our society. They protect our homes from summer bushfires, organise little athletics, run community arts facilities and youth organisations, deliver meals on wheels, and many other positive activities that make Australia the country it is today.”

“We will have an opportunity to say thank you to our volunteers next week, during National Volunteer Week. This year’s theme is Volunteers Change Our World, and they do just that every single day. While disadvantage divides communities, volunteering unities us, providing everyone with the chance to give something back.”

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4. MEASURES TO STEP UP TRANS TASMAN TRAVEL, TRADE AND SECURITY

7 May 2008 – Australia and New Zealand Customs today committed to a series of initiatives to boost the safety and security of bilteral travel and trade flows. The Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, and NZ Customs Minister Nanaia Mahuta met in Canberra to discuss closer ties between the respective Customs Services.

Mr Debus said “Arriving New Zealand passengers are already able to use the Australian Customs SmartGate solution at certain Australian airports.” Ms Mahuta said agreement had been reached to install Australian SmartGate kiosks at Auckland Airport, to pre-process travellers arrival in Australia before leaving New Zealand. The kiosks will be for use by eligible New Zealand and Australian e-Passport holders travelling to Australian airports equipped with Smartgate.

Mr Debus said Australian and NZ Customs were also involved in a data sharing pilot that could ultimately allow Trans-Tasman traders to submit a single data entry to both Customs administrations simultaneously. This would allow for earlier and more accurate receipt of data by Customs and for reduced compliance costs and time-savings for industry.

The Ministers also committed to enhance border security through more effective cooperation targeting criminal networks, maritime security threats and intellectual property theft. Customs are now working on joint intelligence and investigation responses to identified border risks, including those posed by criminal networks common to both countries.

Mr Debus said Australian and NZ Customs would shortly sign an agreement to formalise a cooperative relationship between Border Protection Command and the National Maritime Coordination Centre in New Zealand. “This agreement will significantly enhance security in the trans-Tasman maritime environment and provide a greater capability for each nation to assess and respond to maritime security threats,” he said.

According to Ms Mahuta, “The seizure of 27kg of cocaine in 2006 from the hull of a vessel which transited NZ en-route to Australia is a prime example of the value of such an approach.” Both Ministers also agreed to work together to continue building the capacity of Customs agencies throughout the Pacific to tackle emerging problems such as terrorism, drug and people smuggling, Mr Debus said.

Added Ms Mahuta, “Both of our Customs agencies face large increases in cargo volumes and passenger numbers at ports and airports in coming years. In addition, criminal networks are becoming more sophisticated.”

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5. OFFSHORE TAX EVADERS URGED TO COME CLEAN, MAY GET INDEMNITY

2008/22 — Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo issued a taxpayer alert today warning people against using arrangements in Vanuatu or any other jurisdiction to claim false deductions or hide income offshore. “The message is simple – people should be cautious when considering the abusive use of offshore structures or tax havens including Vanuatu,” Mr D’Ascenzo said. “With excellent cooperation from Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and other international agencies under Project Wickenby, we are closing the net on people trying to use tax havens to hide income. People who use offshore structures to generate false deductions or to deliberately hide assets or income in tax havens like Vanuatu can face serious penalties including criminal prosecutions.”

The Tax Office is conducting 80 audits linked to Vanuatu with over $90 million in allegedly false deductions, and will write to another 500 Australians with apparent links to Vanuatu seeking more information on their tax affairs.

“Last year we asked Vanuatu branches or subsidiaries of some Australian financial institutions to ask their Australian customers to check their arrangements,” Mr D’Ascenzo said. “If people thought they had tax compliance problems we offered them the opportunity to come forward and voluntarily disclose any issues. We have been disappointed with the low response rate from this particular initiative and urge people to think again.

“However, I am pleased we have received 661 voluntary disclosures to date in relation to the abusive use of tax havens generally. People who contact us before they are the subject of an audit may be entitled to substantial reductions in shortfall penalties under our offshore voluntary disclosure initiative.”

Taxpayer alerts are intended as an ‘early warning’ to taxpayers and their advisers of significant tax planning issues or arrangements that the Tax Office has under risk assessment or about which it has concerns. Where a taxpayer makes a voluntary disclosure and that disclosure indicates possible criminal offences, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has indicated he will favourably consider granting an indemnity from criminal prosecution in relation to the taxpayer’s involvement in the scheme where:

* the case does not exhibit a significant degree of criminality;

* the taxpayer provides information about how the arrangements worked, including the role and identity of the promoter, and

* the taxpayer co-operates with the investigation and consequential proceedings.

The Tax Office booklet Tax havens and tax administration provides information about people’s obligations and the Tax Office’s concerns related to tax havens. On 13 March 2008, the Tax Office issued a taxpayer alert (2008/2) regarding tax avoidance/evasion linked to bank accounts and structures based in Liechtenstein. For more information, taxpayer alert 2008/8 is available from www.ato.gov.au/atp.

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6. A$3.45 MILLION TO BOOST LOCAL CAPACITY TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, today announced $3.45 million to help local government and professionals such as engineers and architects better manage the effects of climate change.

Addressing the Queensland Media Club, she said: “As well as reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change, the Rudd Government recognises the need for us to adapt to the climate change we can’t avoid. The Government is providing $1.55 million to assist councils to learn more about the local impact of climate and plan ahead.

“Another $1.9 million has gone to tertiary institutions and professional associations to integrate climate change into their education and training courses through the Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals small grants program.” Senator Wong said infrastructure including roads, bridges and buildings were highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change including increased frequency and intensity of storms and drought.

“This funding will help fill gaps in current education and training programs in fields including engineering, architecture, urban planning, and water resource management.” Fourteen organisations received grants of up to $150,000 under the program.

Senator Wong said the $1.55 million provided in grants to local government organisations would help them assess risks and develop action plans to deal with the effects of climate change. “Local governments play a major role in planning and development, natural resources management, infrastructure, and health and recreational facilities – and so are crucial to managing the effects of climate change on their communities,” she said.

A full list of recipients under both grants programs is available at: www.climatechange.gov.au/impacts/index.html

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7. CHINA, JAPAN TOP TRADE PARTNERS

6 May 2008 – Australian Bureau of Statistics data released today shows that China became Australia’s largest two-way trading partner (imports and exports of both goods and services) in 2007. Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, said that in order to help trade to grow even further, talks are under way for a free trade agreement with China. The next round of talks are in June.

Total trade with China in 2007 grew 15% to $58 billion. Australia’s exports of goods to China rose 17% to $23.8 billion, while services exports grew 18% to $3.9 billion on the back of strong growth in Chinese student enrolments.

China is now Australia’s largest overall trading partner but Japan is Australia’s largest export destination. Total two-way trade with Japan was worth $54.5 billion in 2007. The US is the number three trading partner, with total 2007 trade growing 0.1% to $47.7 billion.

The March trade deficit of $2.7 billion (seasonally adjusted) was the third-largest on record and the 72nd consecutive deficit. “We have seen a clear deterioration in the trade balance over the past 18 months,” said Mr Crean. “To record these woeful figures in the middle of a resources boom shows how badly the previous Government neglected Australia’s export sector.

“We need to look beyond the resources boom and end the neglect so we can start to turn our trade performance around. “The Mortimer Review of export policies and programs and the Rudd Government’s broader economic reforms to infrastructure, education and regulation will improve the economy’s export capacity.

“Our single biggest opportunity for an export breakthrough is through the Doha Round of world trade talks. By liberalising world trade, we can sharply improve Australia’s export performance. At the same time we can boost the world economy and help to alleviate the world food crisis.

The Australian Government is actively pushing for a successful conclusion to the Doha Round which would improve Australia’s export prospects for agriculture, industrial products and services. Negotiations at the border (including in the Doha Round) and reforms behind the border in the domestic economy are the “twin pillars” of the Government’s trade policy.

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8. SPACE ‘SENTINEL’ TO MONITOR ASIA-PACIFIC DISASTERS

A space-based international Earth observation network to detect and monitor natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region has been formed with a substantial contribution from Australian science. Called Sentinel Asia, the network of information-delivery websites has its roots in the Australian bushfire tracking system, Sentinel Hotspots, which was developed in 2002 by CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation.

“This will be a critical information delivery system on wildfires, flooding, drought, and landslides in our region, where those events can be seen by Earth observing satellites in real time,” says the coordinator of Australia’s input, senior CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research scientist Dr Alex Held.

“Australia has had a pivotal, strategic role in developing the system which has the potential to benefit billions of people in our region by assisting authorities in a recovery response,” he said. “The concept of Sentinel Asia is to provide online information from Earth observation satellites in ‘near real-time’ through a network of webGIS services such as the Australian Sentinel Hotspots system.”

“This will be a critical information delivery system on wildfires, flooding, drought, and landslides in our region, where those events can be seen by Earth observing satellites in real time,” says the coordinator of Australia’s input, senior CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research scientist Dr Alex Held.

Initially supported by the Japanese Government through the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sentinel Asia aims to show the value of Earth observation data for disaster management in the region. The system has been activated 10 times by seven countries including Australia in the last 12 months, mostly in response to earthquakes and floods. Planned improvements include further nodes in other countries, use of high bandwidth communications satellites to provide information more quickly, and access to a wider range of Earth observation satellites.

Dr Held said many of the causes and impacts of natural disasters, including droughts, are observable, often in real-time, from space by orbiting or geostationary Earth observing systems. “When efficiently combined with modern information-distribution methods, this data can be sent rapidly to affected communities and local emergency agencies in some cases as early-warning before the disaster occurs, or as post-disaster maps, to assist in recovery operations,” he said.

The system largely uses free-to-air satellite imagery produced by Earth-observing satellites operated by the US, Europe, Japan, India and, in the future, other countries in Australasia which are planning satellite launches.

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9. NEW DIRECTIONS FOR AUSTRALIAN SPORT

6 May 2008 – The Government today advanced its vision for Australian sport, with the release of a new directions paper and the appointment of five new members to the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). The Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis, said that in order to maintain Australia’s status as one of the world’s greatest sporting nations, “we must be prepared to embrace necessary reform. The Government will also ensure that sport and physical activity play a key role in our preventative health agenda.”

The directions paper Australian Sport: Emerging Challenges, New Directions outlines two key areas where the Government will introduce reform – the way we support elite sport; and the way sport is used to boost participation and physical activity to help build a healthier nation. It outlines particular projects the Government will pursue such as the promotion of the position of women in sport; improving program delivery of Indigenous sport and enhancing support and recognition of disabled sport.

Australian Sport: Emerging Challenges, New Directions is available from: www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/sport-australian-sport

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10. FIRST TRAINING CENTRE SET UP FOR OIL AND GAS WORKERS

06 May, 2008 – Over the coming years, thousands of highly trained oil and gas workers are expected to graduate from a new $21 million training facility in Western Australia, opened today by Minister for Education, Julia Gillard MP and WA Minister for Education and Training, Mark McGowan MP.

The Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT) is an Australian first, and will provide world-class training for the oil and gas, mineral and chemical processing industries. The facility is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and WA Governments and local industry, with the Commonwealth investing $13 million to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for the training needs of the oil and gas industries.

ACEPT is based at Challenger TAFE and links directly with companies in the oil, gas, chemical and minerals production industries, allowing them to send their staff for training at the new centre. There are 250 students currently enrolled at ACEPT and about 2,500 students a year are expected to go through the centre to meet the projected high future demand for resources and minerals personnel. ACEPT is also expected to help provide training for defence industries based nearby.

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11. NEW PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE W.A. SKILLS SHORTAGES

06 May, 2008 – Federal Minister for Education, Julia Gillard and WA Minister for Education and Training, Mark McGowan today announced that Western Australia will be the first state to join the Productivity Places Program. From July to December 2008, Western Australia will pilot an initiative to deliver 1000 new training places in identified skill shortage areas, with more places expected next year as part of the broader rollout of the program.

The announcement was made at the opening of a new $8.4 million Print and Jewellery training facility at Central TAFE in Perth that will cater for additional apprenticeship training in the printing and jewellery industries. The Australian Government contributed over $7 million towards the establishment of the centre, with $1.1 million from the WA Government. The move is designed to tackle skills shortages nationwide, and deliver 450,000 new training places over the next four years.

This marks the next phase in the rollout of the Productivity Places Program, with the first 20,000 training places already made available for job seekers from April. The new training places announced today will be targeted to the existing workforce and will be available at the Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels.

Nearly 80 qualifications will be on offer across a range of industries, including the key skills shortage areas of metals and mining; building and construction; electro-technology; manufacturing; community services; and hospitality and tourism. More information on the Productivity Places Program is available at: www.productivityplaces.deewr.gov.au.

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12. PROGRAM TO STUDY EMERGING RURAL ISSUES

Monday, 5 May 2008 – A new program to look into emerging issues and trends that may have an impact on all rural industries and communities in Australia is to be established by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).

The new Emerging Rural Issues program will be established under RIRDC’s National Rural Issues portfolio and will help rural Australia track and manage “over the horizon” issues. RIRDC Managing Director, Dr Peter O’Brien, said the new program would generate information about possible future trends and assess future conditions and their likely impact on rural industries and communities based on current experience and trends.

“We believe establishing this new program will allow RIRDC to take a peek into the future and help rural industries cope with the challenges and opportunities of what might be around the corner,” Dr O’Brien said. “For example 20 years ago climate change had barely registered on the agricultural radar, yet today it is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Similarly, few people would have foreseen the growth in biofuels that is now occurring and the impact this is having – both positive and negative – on a wide range of agricultural industries.

“The aim of this new program will be to identify the equivalent issues of 2030 and beyond and help us plan for them to ensure rural Australia is able to cope and capitalise. RIRDC has already undertaken work of this nature to assist our industry and government stakeholders,” Dr O’Brien said.

“We have produced research such as The Social and Economic Impacts of Water Trading and Implications for Australian Agriculture of Changing Demand for Animal Protein Needs in Asia, work funded through the Australian Farm Institute. Establishing a foresighting program like this in RIRDC will also inform future investment in R&D. Most R&D has its beneficial impacts some time in the future – we need to anticipate the possibilities and invest in R&D to address them.