Copied from Brisbane's "The Courier Mail"
 Wednesday June 21, 2000
 Page 16, Letters (to the Editor)

 AIR SAFETY TIED TO CASA ROLE

 I refer to "Aviation in crisis" (Monitor, June17). There never will be
 improved aviation safety until there is close co-operation between the
 Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the aviation industry.

 CASA must be more than a regulator. It must be a source of information
 and an uncritical listener to people in the industry who wish to discuss
 issues. Without this two-way flow of information, CASA cannot operate
 effectively.

 If CASA is just a regulator, it will always be seen as an adversary. In
 recent years CASA and the industry have undertaken a long overdue
 redrafting of regulations. Throughout this process, co-operation between
 the two bodies has been exceptional.

 However, in the day-to-day operations of CASA, there is considerable
 room for improvement.

 Over the years, there have been people in senior positions in CASA whose
 ability to get on with industry is nil. Real air safety will only be
 achieved in a spirit of co-operation.

 C.W. Whitney, Graceville. June 17.