The information on all ASIC requirements is actually laid down by Office of Transport Security which is part as D.O.I.T (formerly DOTARS). There is info on the CASA site however they are not the regulatory Body, DOIT are the Reg, Body. If any Aerodrome or Airport in Aus. has regular public transport flights operating then the airfield is required to have a Transport Security Program (TSP) and an ASIC Program and is the requirement that any one who accesses the airside area requires an ASIC, however those excempt from requiring an ASIC are those persons who -
1 - a person who is a passenger
2 - Emergency services crews who need to be airside for operational reasons. eg Responding to emergency or another case at an airfield I work at Ambos taking sick/injured/passenger transfers with RFDS or Careflight Rescue.
3 - ADF personnel on official duties at the airfield
And you can get ASIC's for persons under the Age of 16.
Now were there are ASIC programs there are VIC cards, or Temporary Visitor ID Cards. I'm not going to bore with all the details but there are changes in the wind. As of November 21 the new legislation kicks in. Now lets say you operate an aircraft at an ASIC airfield, you want to take a close freind out on the airfield to look at the plane and does not have an ASIC. By Law the person you are taking out is not a passenger so under the current legislation made by our government (agree with this or not) requires that the person you are taking out requires a Visitor Id Card. How do you get one of those , well you 'll have to ask your airfield operator that one. Where we could issue VICs upto 3 months in a 12 month period, OR issue the VICS under the agreement that the Airport operators chose to issue the VICs for a set time with DOIT up to the three month period, Now the maximum a VIC card can be issued to a person is 28 days in any 12 month period. If the person requires the VIC card for more than a 72 hour period that person now has to have there photo taken and it gets printed onto a card just like an ASIC, which we are now getting all that togethe at a considerable expense as the printing machines are not cheap.
The Vic program does not discriminate, and I beleive this is changing to thankfully with the min. age increasing. Under the VIC program regards age there is no descrimination. When they say a person who goes airside who des not a have an ASIC requires a VIC they mean any person from a 1 month old baby to a 105 year old person. I have had the situation where a family was visiting a Rescure Helicopter operations and were getting a tour of the helicopter as they made a contribution to the organisation. Because they were going airside i had to issue them with VICs and was given the heads up that they were bringing the family along. So I checked the regulations and I was required to issue each of the children a VIC including the 12 month old child...Uncomfotable with that ....YOU BET. Also I am required by law to report any person who is airside that is not wearing an ASIC to the Canberra Office. Even if I know they have an ASIC Card, and know the person really well...Uncomfortable with that ....YOU BET! But if it got reported back to the Office of Transport Security that I did not fulfill my obligations under the Transport Security Act by not issuing the VICs or fulfilling the requirements under ASIC then I would be personally breaking the Law by not doing so and I would get a huge fine and possibly a stint in Jail.
So if you think the ASIC program is pain then try working at an airfield that is under an ASIC Program.
Cheers