Government Audit Gives The Agency Three Months To Address Safety Concerns

An audit conducted by the New Zealand government has found that country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) lacking when it comes to addressing safety concerns, and it has been given until September to report on steps taken to improve the situation.

Auditor General Lyn Provost issued the scathing report to Parliament on Tuesday, which spurred Transport Minister Steven Joyce to order the CAA to produce a report on improvements in the certification and surveillance of small aircraft.

Another very critical audit in 2005 prompted 10 safety recommendations designed to improve safety checks on aircraft with fewer than nine seats as well as agricultural aircraft. Provost found in her investigation that only one of those had been fully implemented, eight had been partially addressed, and one had not been dealt with at all.

The New Zealand Herald reports that the audit lists 12 additional recommendations to help the CAA "address the reasons for its inadequate progress."

Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who's job is reportedly in jeopardy because of the lack of action, said "Continuing to not act on these reports is not an option." CAA Chairman Rick Bettle told the paper "A program (sic) of fixes has already been put in place. The work will be carried through to completion." He noted that New Zealand has a reputation for having a very safe civil aviation system, but that "(t)he report points to areas where the CAA can improve its performance, in order to make flying even safer."

FMI: www.oag.govt.nz, www.caa.govt.nz