Simon Westaway

To top off an incredibly busy week in Australian aviation, today’s affirmation by the ACCC granting interim authorisation to Virgin Australia & Qatar Airways to engage in ‘cooperative conduct’ their prior announced integrated alliance for our international skies, is a big deal! Whilst further & final regulatory approval awaits & is required in the new year, more competition has been delivered in time for next year’s peak Northern Summer! It will mean newly marketed, additional 28pw Australia to Doha wide body flights, and soon for sale. To be steadily rolled out from Sydney Airport Melbourne Airport Brisbane Airport Corporation & Perth Airport between June and Nov 2025. The Australian Airports Association has taken a long-standing, constructive and proactive advocacy position in the critical consumer interest of more airline competition here at home. The Virgin Australia-Qatar Airways alliance offers the chance to introduce further capacity and greater choice for Australian travellers, international inbound tourists and increase airfreight capacity. That’s the reality! As I am saying on the AAA’s behalf to media & stakeholders: “Interim authorisation for the deal from the ACCC is a significant step forward and should provide more certainty in the Federal Government’s decision-making process. “This deal is a major win for the aviation industry and the flying Australian public as it improves competition and connectivity.” #ausbiz #auspol #qatar #virginaustralia #competition #aviation #airports #tourismaustralia #visitoreconomy #aaa #airfares #accc #future

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The big news for the day is the sounding of the starting bell for the next round of the Global Supply Chain Program (GSC 2.0)! The Minister for Defence Industry has made the long awaited announcement that not only are the original seven GSC Primes rejoining the program, but the list of Primes has almost doubled, with the admission of six new companies: Babcock International Group Moog Australia Pty Ltd L3Harris Technologies Kongsberg Defence Australia Saab HUNTINGTON INGALLS INCORPORATED to the already impressive team. Adding new Primes to the program is the realisation of one of the first initiatives from the DIDS, and is the result of the sterling efforts of the CSG Team, CASG as well as so many Australian Industry facing individuals. So much more to come! https://lnkd.in/gG-TQaY6 #australiandefenceindustry #globalsupplychain #australia #defenceindustry #defenceindustrycapability #australianbusiness #l3harris #fast.forward

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One of the key themes and one of the Australian Airports Association raision d’être or reason for being over the medium term, will be to help truly nail the notion of seamless air travel in this country! As we discussed repeatedly at this past week’s successful National Convention, Australian airports are increasingly stepping up & out to meet the current and future demands of both escalating passenger volumes & rising consumer expectations including accessibility. The role of Government, regulators and authorities is going to be crucial but must be attuned to the potential! As was said - we have all the technology at our finger tips, we have the airport investment pipeline & our travelling public will crave a more secure and safe and efficient means to seamlessly stay on the move. This week’s presentation by Australian Border Force to the AAA was very much welcomed and the partnership approach including the latest international terminal kiosk arrangement with Sydney Airport There is a whole lot more to do, including near future kiosk volume resolutions needed at key major gateways including at Melbourne Airport & Brisbane Airport Corporation But we - the AAA - will be constructively advocating for this and far beyond. Seamless travel - remember the name!! The Weekend The Australian Robyn Ironside https://lnkd.in/gwsiHRve #airports #aviation #biometric #seamless #travel #borders #auspol #ausbiz #futurefacing #tourism #visitoreconomy #bordersecurity #2030 #aaa

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💡 Curious about the future of the Australian Defence sector? If your business is focused on aligning with Defence priorities, reducing time-to-sale, or accelerating growth, this is a must-attend event. Our Free Webinar is designed for decision-makers eager to position their organisations for success in the evolving defence landscape of 2025-2027. When: Thursday, 14 November Time: 10am - 11am (AEDT) Register Here: https://hubs.li/Q02WWcPx0 What you’ll learn: 👉 Defence priorities, policies, and budgets for 2025-2027 👉 How to decrease time-to-sale 👉 Actionable steps to boost your business’s growth #DefenceIndustry #BusinessGrowth #AustralianDefence #Strategy #Webinar #ADROITA #DefenceSector #FutureProofYourBusiness

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Worth reading for a perspective from one side of Brisbane public transport's great operational divides. Of all Australia's large mainland capitals Brisbane's PT network is the lowest performing relative to its infrastructure. Eg the much smaller Perth rail network (with about half the stations but double the frequency) is much more productive despite the urban forms of both cities not being transit friendly. The recent Climate Council report put Brisbane right at the bottom in relation to the population near frequent service. Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have various orbital routes for non-CBD travel whereas Brisbane just has the very infrequent 598/599 bus, making the network too CBD-centric to be useful for most trips. Poor passenger service and efficiency outcomes are basically a result of state govt train and BCC bus network fiefdoms fighting rather than feeding one another. This is stuff the 50c fares won't fix; Brisbane needs to learn from cities like Perth who have long had more competent network planning and integration.

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Can any Royal Australian Navy Old Salts help me here??? If we are disposing of Defence Australias hydrographic survey capability, and not proceeding with projects such as #SEA1905 for our mine countermeasures and military survey capability... How can we be a focused force and fight in the littoral environment when that fight will be in the archipelagic region to our north consisting of thousands and thousands of islands and reefs?

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Day 2 - Australian Airports Association - 2024 National Conference. Just a series of excellent presentations & insights shared across the day. The candour and flow of Virgin Australia Jayne Hrdlicka & Melbourne Airport Lorie Argus ‘fireside’ chat shared a range of insights including the competitive situation in Australian skies, alongside the memory of COVID, associated impacts and how the climb back to operational and industry recovery was formulated. Naturally discussion took in the proposal now before regulators of Qatar Airways, its sought shareholding in Virgin Australia and the elements of what 4 daily Australian mainland to Doha services can mean. All remains subject to a detailed approval process. Detailed strategic overviews by Civil Aviation Safety Authority & Airservices Australia Pip Spence Rob Sharp BBus(Mgt) CA GAICD CompIEAust EngExec FRAeS The depth and breadth of the excellent afternoon panel on the status, developments and appropriately discussed direction of a sustainable ‘SAF’, renewable fuel proposition for Australian aviation was on full display. Steered by Brisbane Airport Corporation alongside IFM Investors Ampol GrainCorp & Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts Sustainability and its many elements is a major focus for Australian airports, including approaches to resilience and the fast emerging work and focus around improving passenger facilitation through technology and today’s customer. Case studies by Brisbane Airport Corporation Adelaide Airport Limited PwC Cairns Airport SITA Sydney Airport AECOM RWDI @australian spacial analytics More to be covered here over Day 3. #aviation #airports #competiton #auspol #ausbiz #skies #saf #renewable #sustainability #industry Jessica Ridley

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Good news for regional New Zealand. And a tough call for producers of glossy brochures! Today at the LGNZ Conference in Wellington, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown outlined the government’s Regional Deals framework. Of note: ------------------------ - Up to five regions will be invited to submit “light touch” proposals this year. No region is being ruled in or out at this stage but the focus will be on places with existing or potential opportunity for significant economic growth. - “We don't want extravagant, glossy documents developed by consultants: we're looking for simple in-house proposals." - Deals will be concluded with selected regions through a three-step process; an expression of interest letter from his office, a MoU, and development of a framework covering the structural aspects of the deal including governance, accountability, and detailing exactly what government support is needed. - He wants to finalise the first deal by the end of 2025. More info here, courtesy of BusinessDesk (paywalled): https://lnkd.in/gS6_eJZq #regionaldevelopment #businesscommunication #nzpol

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A wise person once told me good policy is informed by smart politics, and that smart politics is informed by good policy. Understanding how to use the two to get to a desired outcome is the job of a good policy practitioner. Today's Queensland Media Club leadership debate provided a myriad of dense policy issues to work through: cost of living, economic management, health, infrastructure, crime and abortion rights, amongst others. What struck me was how each leader - both masters of balancing the policy/politics chestnut - presented their case for a better Queensland. In politics, we often talk about ideologies driving thinking and action. However, decisions of leaders are often intensely personal stories, which in turn shape each person's values. A light bulb moment for me was on a lot of issues, both leaders shared similar values. It's their beliefs in applying those values that shaped their position, and in turn, their message. How well their message resonates with the electorate's beliefs is something we'll find out in a couple of weeks. Today's lesson though: a leader's personal story and their beliefs can impact our work more than we realise. A perfectly formed solution has to be passed through a very human lens.

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Have you received an invite for 190 or 491 Visa? 💌 The latest state and territory nomination updates for March 2024 have been published. Chances to get an invite are getting lower as we are getting closer to the end of the financial year in Australia. Have you submitted your EOI? Still waiting for an invite? We recommend to have a Plan B. How would it feel, if you would know ALL of your visa options? The pros and cons, the costs, the time frames, your chances to get it, etc.. Click the link in the comments 👇 for details and book a consultation with our expert Immigration team to get clarity about your future in Australia. #stateandterritorynominations #australia #australianvisa

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With increasing great power contestation taking place in the absence of a clearly defined long-term strategic end-game, trusted exercises between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) established since 1971 go some way to mitigate the risk of marginalisation. https://lnkd.in/g__ZUr99 https://lnkd.in/gCz7rssx

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Traditionally many of us think about climate change as rising temperatures and sea levels, with consequences for scarcity of resources such as food and supply of drinking water. The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, comprising former Australian military and intelligence leaders, highlights that there are now immediate and significant implications for Australia's security. We are already starting to see some of these things play out elsewhere with mass migration and increased international instability. Positive recommendations are made in this report so the Australian government and its departments can be fit for purpose in addressing these risks to overcome bureaucratic silos, establish a dedicated Climate Threat Intelligence, establish an Abrupt Climate Change Early Warning System and legislate a Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act. I hope you have a read. What do you think? Australian Security Leaders Climate Group Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC)

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🌏 Geography matters. Australia faces a different strategic reality compared to Ukraine. While the conflict in Europe highlights the effectiveness of rapid employment of low end drone technology, the threats and vast distances of our region demand a geographically appropriate approach. The challenge is not just adopting new technology in an affordable way, but ensuring it aligns with our mission requirements. As discussions around Australian drone capabilities continue, it's important we frame it fit for the Indo-Pacific context. https://lnkd.in/gwAsT8Je

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There has been a lot of publicity about Rex's recent entry into voluntary administration, including commentary on the apparent structural problems regarding the regulation of and competition within Australia's domestic aviation sector. It is clearly a difficult time right now for one of Australia's most important regional transport services, and one can only hope that the Administrators at EY find a sustainable pathway forward for the airline. The question has to be asked though, why did Rex not stick to its knitting? Possibly the temptation to break into the wider capital city domestic aviation market when Virgin when into administration was too great to ignore. But, it was not that long ago that this incident (see the attached article) was hitting the headlines. It was a near run thing, and it was only a miracle that no one was hurt (both in the air and on the ground). Based on public reports, a sizeable number of Rex's SAAB 340 fleet is grounded. Furthermore, it reportedly has an average fleet age of nearly 30 years. Supply chain challenges for maintenance services and spare parts are increasing. While the acquisition of new ATR 42 and 72 aircraft by Rex to replace its ageing fleet was being considered, one can only assume that the recent events that put it into administration will now put this timetable back even further. That's not good news for the sector and the travelling public more broadly. It's also not great news for regional communities who need safe and reliable transport connections to survive and grow. To underscore this point, Rex was the only carrier flying into some key regional centres. So yes, the domestic aviation sector possibly does need further reform to enable greater competition,, but perhaps after repeated failures (Ansett, Compass V1 and V2, Impulse, Tiger, Bonza etc, and now Rex) we may need to accept that our relatively small domestic market for the capital cities, combined with vast distances, can only accommodate two major carriers. We do however, need a strong airline that can focus on, and meet the needs of our regional communities; one with with a safe and modern fleet. It is therefore hoped that whomever takes over Rex goes back to its knitting and builds a service that focusses on this critical regional market, (short term government intervention may be required to enable this to occur). Just a thought. https://lnkd.in/gBjks9NG

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Discover how the Defence Strategic Review and government reforms are shaping the Australian Defence Industry. Mark Cooper’s article for TK, explores future scenarios and their implications. #Insights #ExpertNetwork #TriangulateKnowledge #TK #ExpertInsights #InsightArticle #IndustryInsights

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The government has released the inaugural National Defence Strategy and 2024 Integrated Investment Program. Building on the Defence Strategic Review, this will sharpen #AusNavy’s focus, provide a foundation for our planning, and shape our ability to meet the nation’s intent for an integrated, focused force. #NDS2024

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🚀 Applications Now Open for the NSW Space+ Program! 🌟 Investment NSW and the SmartSat CRC have partnered on the NSW Space+ Program and they are currently calling for innovative project concepts that will help propel the space-related industry ecosystem in NSW. The NSW Government has committed $500,000 to support NSW businesses in commercialising and showcasing their world-leading capabilities on a global stage at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in 2025. 🔍 Key Details: ♦ Program Objectives: Foster creation and commercialisation of space-related technologies. ♦ Who Can Apply: Industry, research organisations, SMEs, researchers, and students. ♦ Funding Available: Up to $500,000. ♦ Deadline: Applications close at 12 noon (AEST) on Friday, 30 August 2024. Intending applicants should review the NSW Space+ Program Guidelines and Proposal Templates before applying. For more information go to https://lnkd.in/gbNp49ac 🌍🚀 #SmartSat #NSWSpace #SpaceInnovation #IAC2025 #SpaceTech #NSWGovernment #SpaceCommercialisation

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It seems like Bonza has huffed and puffed but hasn't been able to achieve the critical mass needed to ensure its commercial viability in Australia's domestic aviation sector in time to satisfy its backers! As a keen observer of the domestic aviation sector, I had my doubts that Bonza would be successful as it largely targeted regional areas and avoided most metropolitan areas in the country. So, achieving critical mass was always going to be a challenge. My take on the situation is that Bonza failed to attract customers with lower fares, extract sufficient value from selling food & beverages on flights to customers and invested in larger aircraft than required. I suspect Bonza may have also made losses from any code-sharing agreements it entered into with industry leaders - Qantas, Virgin and/or REX. In summary, the poor unit economics and lack of market power undermined Bonza's commercial viability. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds going forward!

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For those interested in board governance Qantas Airlines completed a governance review in August 2024. The report evaluated the decision making and governance processes that led to a loss of trust amongst stakeholders and the challenges levied by the Covid pandemic. Page 7 Board effectiveness and culture is worth a read as the board dealt with the Covid Crisis and fending off potential bankruptcy. The report is in no way damning. There are several observations made by the report that include. 1. Board and Management Culture was not a explicit topic. The board focus was financially, commercially and strategically orientated. More focus on non-financial issues was needed. 2. Information flow and cadence on non-financial risks and escalation of risks to the board could be improved. 3. The Board should conduct regular assessment of skills and experience. 4. The Groups risk management framework was weighted toward finance risks. Greater attention to non-financial risks and cumulative risk is needed. 5. Legal oversight is not a 'right or wrong' issue, its about risk management and balance between financial and non-financial risk. Page 12 People and Culture reveals some of the challenges and changes made by Qantas to change the organizational culture. Reducing the top heavy decision making process adopted by the company, refreshing the leadership and bringing in new role to the leadership team such as a CRO and CPO. One points out this report as one considers the role of cybersecurity regulation and governance. With several of the observations made being critical to the management of cybersecurity risk, requiring a board to focus on skills and experience, non-financial risk management, managing legal risk and people and culture. All aspects of cyber regulation being adopted in the EU and U.S, ensuring adequate and appropriate reporting of cyber risk management is fed to the board; the board has the appropriate knowledge and skills to evaluate cyber risk and the organisation has a risk based culture to manage risk. Thaddeus Dziekanowski Brian D. McCarthy Faisal Khan Veritas GRC Qantas #cybersecurity #cyberriskmanagement #cyberregulation

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