As the accountable authority for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), I am pleased to present the ATSB’s 2017–18 Corporate Plan, which covers the period 2017–18 to 2020–21.
This Corporate Plan sets out the ATSB’s purpose – to improve transport safety – and its strategies for achieving that purpose. The Plan also sets out the ATSB’s key deliverables and associated performance criteria. It has been prepared consistent with paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the relevant provisions of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (the TSI Act), which establishes the ATSB. It also covers the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport’s Statement of Expectations (SOE ) as notified under Section 12AE of the TSI Act.
The TSI Act provides that the ATSB’s primary purpose is to improve the safety of aviation, rail and marine transport through accident investigation, data analysis and safety education. It must do so independently while cooperating with the other organisations that share responsibility for transport safety, including counterpart organisations in other countries. Successive governments have indicated that, in carrying out its role, the ATSB should give priority to the safety of the travelling public.
To accomplish its primary purpose, the ATSB must take into account the known and projected environmental challenges associated with continuing growth, emerging technologies and safety trends across the aviation, rail and marine transport sectors. In response, the ATSB has implemented a significant reform agenda that will position the agency to evolve its capabilities to deliver core functions in a more efficient and effective manner. A key enabler to this reform agenda has been the Government’s recent budget measure that will assist the ATSB in maintaining a sustainable resource base.
Through its contemporary workforce planning strategies, the ATSB will strive to attract, develop and retain the best people, with the requisite skills, knowledge and experience to meet the current and emerging challenges in transport safety investigation.
In my capacity as Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, I am fully committed to maintaining the ATSB’s reputation as a world leading safety investigation body. Consistent with this commitment, I will work collaboratively with the relevant authorities to ensure the ATSB is appropriately resourced to fulfil its legislative duties and positioned to meet the expectations of our stakeholders and the broader travelling public.
Greg Hood
Chief Commissioner
30 August 2017