RAA rego and membership fee rises 1 July 2017

[KRviator]

At its most basic level, and in the context of this thread: keeping RAAus a going concern and financially solvent...

 

 

[facthunter]

It's all you have got and that's a fact. Believe it. Nev

 

 

[Jim McDowall]

The MOU tend to get signed at the end of the year - last years ended on 30 June and was signed on 5 June. But don't hold your breath on CASA funding - last year it went up 0% or $109 in cash despite all the increases in oversight that we seem to have signed up for ... and it's only $118k last year and I suspect that's less than the cost of the safety officer and the IT system changes for that role that we spent let alone the additional calls and cost of the tech office.

So there is currently no agreement (contract) in place? If there isn't and CASA is paying over the dosh then the National Audit Office should have something to say and how do we know that what we are doing meets the terms of an agreement to be signed post performance?

BTW has anybody seen any Board minutes/agendas or interim financials?

 

 

[kasper]

So there is currently no agreement (contract) in place? If there isn't and CASA is paying over the dosh then the National Audit Office should have something to say and how do we know that what we are doing meets the terms of an agreement to be signed post performance?BTW has anybody seen any Board minutes/agendas or interim financials?

No.

Were you expecting any once the change to company form was made?

 

Oh, sorry. You may have missed a few of the features that the change brought with it that absolutely nobody saw coming ... well not nobody but I'm pretty close to nobody and it seems that everybody else believed the salesmen when they said trust us it'll be fine.

 

I'll put my sarcasm back in it's box now that it's had a bit of a run around. I'm sure it'll get a regular run around as we revisit the operations of the good ship RAAus ltd. as she sails her maiden voyage.

 

 

[storchy neil]

bull kasper that's two nobodys that were not having snake oil sales men

 

yep 9000 or 10000 them there figars are from raas own site whitch is write neil

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I noticed a while back that the management dropped the RAA at a Glance section of the magazine

 

 

[kasper]

bull kasper that's two nobodys that were not having snake oil sales menyep 9000 or 10000 them there figars are from raas own site whitch is write neil

Sorry Neil- forgot you were an equal nobody with me on the changes.

If I had left my cynicism out of its box I'd extend and apply the famous quotation from Martin Neimoller to have a verse about ultralights

 

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

 

Because I was not a Socialist.

 

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

 

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

 

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

 

Because I was not a Jew.

 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

In reply to most of the questions - log into your RAA member portal. It tells me today there are:-

 

• 9625 members
   
   
  
• 3256 aircraft
   
   
  

 

 

Go to Governance - Meetings

 

• A list of all resolutions - who voted for/against/abstained (you can use that info when deciding who to vote for .... )
   
   
   
  
• Minutes of the most recent AGM
   
   
  

 

 

 

Go to Governance - Reports

 

• The last Annual Report (includes the financial statement)
   
   
   
  
• The Annual Financial statement
   
   
  

 

 

The Annual Report is a good read (but it's 12MB). There's a lot of statistics. Women are still only 3% or so of members (there's an opportunity!), the number of new Certificates issued is impressive, the average age of Pilots is coming down (older ones retiring, new ones starting earlier?). There's pages of reports. The year ends 30 June, so there will be another round of Annual Reports due soon.

 

Financials - This shows good reserves, however the cost each year of running the show exceeds the revenue coming in. Either the revenue increases to cover it, or some functions / services are cut; or they continue to eat into the Reserves until there's nothing left. I support the increase, because the big expenditure item - the printed magazine - is obviously wanted by a proportion of members. Insurances went up 13%. That about accounts for the deficit.

 

Happy to answer any questions from the Annual Financial Report, for those who are confused by Financial Statements, however I don't have any inside information.

 

Sue

 

 

[kasper]

In reply to most of the questions - log into your RAA member portal. It tells me today there are:-

• 9625 members
   
   
  
• 3256 aircraft
   
   
  

 

 

Go to Governance - Meetings

 

• A list of all resolutions - who voted for/against/abstained (you can use that info when deciding who to vote for .... )
   
   
   
  
• Minutes of the most recent AGM
   
   
  

 

 

 

Go to Governance - Reports

 

• The last Annual Report (includes the financial statement)
   
   
   
  
• The Annual Financial statement
   
   
  

 

 

The Annual Report is a good read (but it's 12MB). There's a lot of statistics. Women are still only 3% or so of members (there's an opportunity!), the number of new Certificates issued is impressive, the average age of Pilots is coming down (older ones retiring, new ones starting earlier?). There's pages of reports. The year ends 30 June, so there will be another round of Annual Reports due soon.

 

Financials - This shows good reserves, however the cost each year of running the show exceeds the revenue coming in. Either the revenue increases to cover it, or some functions / services are cut; or they continue to eat into the Reserves until there's nothing left. I support the increase, because the big expenditure item - the printed magazine - is obviously wanted by a proportion of members. Insurances went up 13%. That about accounts for the deficit.

 

Happy to answer any questions from the Annual Financial Report, for those who are confused by Financial Statements, however I don't have any inside information.

 

Sue

Agreed that the last annual accounts are there ... but where are the half year accounts ended 31-12-16? The previous years half year accounts are there but they were required to be puclished under the inc association rules we had ... now you get annual only

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Agreed that the last annual accounts are there ... but where are the half year accounts ended 31-12-16? The previous years half year accounts are there but they were required to be puclished under the inc association rules we had ... now you get annual only

True

 

Constitution RAA Issue 12 Sept 2012.

 

15. Treasurer. ... (iv) The Treasurer shall produce a financial statement of accounts twice yearly and publish to the membership, the first occasion being not more than 30 days after the end of financial year, thereafter 6 months later.

 

Constitution of RAA Ltd (published 27/7/2016)

 

20.3 Before or at the Annual General Meeting, the Directors must, in accordance with law, make available information to the Members on the Company’s activities and finances during the period since the last Annual General Meeting.

 

Prior to July 2016, members were to get 6 monthly statements, after July 2016 it was Annual only. However, that 6 monthly was pretty hit or miss, depending on who was Treasurer.

 

RAA had one Treasurer who didn't know the difference between profit / loss and was described as "staring like a rabbit in the headlights" when asked questions at the AGM. Large cash reserves were earning peanuts. Questions like "how much does the magazine cost" were a bridge too far. Income & expenditure was poorly dissected. Like him or loath him, a certain President who resigned and tried to come back, did push better recording of finances. The stand out Treasurer, for me, was Jim Tatlock. He came on board during a period of crisis - he settled the recording of finances into better categories to answer the questions of "how much did x cost, earn" and published profit & loss MONTHLY until things settled down. I only wished he could have continued, but he had more pressing issues and he had done the lion's share and put RAA on a good footing and given the membership better data to work with. He is a champion in my books. One day I hope to meet him, as I only know him by reputation. Waiting 12 months is a bit long, but looking at the size of the Annual Report (against previous), it is worth it. Takes you 12 months to read ...

 

Sue

 

 

[Jim McDowall]

No.Were you expecting any once the change to company form was made?

Oh, sorry. You may have missed a few of the features that the change brought with it that absolutely nobody saw coming ... well not nobody but I'm pretty close to nobody and it seems that everybody else believed the salesmen when they said trust us it'll be fine.

 

I'll put my sarcasm back in it's box now that it's had a bit of a run around. I'm sure it'll get a regular run around as we revisit the operations of the good ship RAAus ltd. as she sails her maiden voyage.

I was under no illusions about the new structure - eg members cannot direct directors etc but given the statement by RAA that :

"at the same time a priority of the Board has been to deliver the core functions of the organisation and continue to register aircraft and issue pilot certificates and this has resulted in the persistence of a budget deficit."

 

there could have been some justification for the income grab that is a bit more substantive eg some interim financials.

 

The GFA has been discussing similar issues at their latest Board meeting; for example:

 

under the subject "Inward Correspondence":

 

Response from Shane Carmody (CASA).

 

No commitment with trying to find ongoing funding. Part 149 delayed until the end of 2017 and GFA unlikely until 2018. We need to arrange a Deed for 2017/18.

 

under the heading "Vice president"

 

CASA Funding letter:

 

Done. Apply for 2017 funding. Check with other ASAC groups about their position with future funding. Board noted political implications of Carmody letter, noted that further approaches may be needed at Ministerial level and possibly CASA Board and/or Peter Lloyd level

 

AND

 

Part 149.

 

Need to decide if we want to accept part 149. Will need to develop our documentation. Waiting on final version of Part 149 to be created. Need a plan as to impacts of loss of CASA funding, and solutions.

 

It seems that GFA does not have a funding agreement for 2016/17 and the allusions to a Carmody letter (the contents of which are not discussed in the minutes) would seem to indicate that, at least for GFA, that funding stream has dried up. (see my posts earlier about S.97AB of the Act)

 

What are the political implications referred to? and who is Peter Lloyd?