The Statement of Intent 2025–2027 has been developed in response to the Statement of Expectations issued by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government for the period 1 September 2025 to 30 June 2027. It details how the ATSB plans to meet the expectations specified in the Statement of Expectations.
Overview
The ATSB’s vision is Transport without accidents.
Our purpose in pursuing that vision is:
To influence transport safety improvements for the greatest public benefit through independent no-blame investigations and fostering safety awareness.
The ATSB vision and purpose is informed by the ATSB’s primary function in the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act) which is to improve safety in the aviation, marine and rail modes of transport. The ATSB undertakes the following strategic activities in support of its legislative function and purpose to influence improvements to transport safety:
| Investigations | Investigate transport safety matters by conducting independent, no-blame investigations. The ATSB may investigate transport safety matters involving the following: |
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| Aviation | Civilian Australian-registered aircraft anywhere in the world, and foreign-registered aircraft operating in Australia. Investigations into aircraft without a VH- registration, or aircraft that are non-powered, will be on an exception basis, as resources permit, and where conducting such an investigation has the potential to highlight wider safety issues. |
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| Rail | Rail operations in Australia, subject to Commonwealth and State and Territory resourcing arrangements. |
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| Marine |
Civilian interstate and overseas shipping involving:
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| Safety data and reporting information | Collect, analyse and share safety data and reporting information including through administering the voluntary and confidential reporting scheme (REPCON), processing mandatory notifications of transport accidents and incidents, and sharing important safety messaging through the publication of occurrence briefs. |
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| Influence safety improvements | Collect, analyse and share safety data and reporting information including through administering the voluntary and confidential reporting scheme (REPCON), processing mandatory notifications of transport accidents and incidents, and sharing important safety messaging through the publication of occurrence briefs. |
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| Leadership | Provide leadership in transport safety investigation through building knowledge and education in the transport sector, utilising and sharing best practice investigation techniques, representing Australia in international transport safety forums, and providing expert assistance to investigations in other countries. | |
Governance
The ATSB remains committed to upholding high standards of governance in undertaking its role as Australia’s national transport safety investigator. In addition to adhering to the Public, Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) and the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct and Values, the ATSB approaches its work in accordance with 5 key principles:
- Independence
- Engagement
- Rigour
- Innovation
- Relevance
The ATSB has established a governance framework that details the structures, systems, processes, policies and procedures that support us to pursue our purpose in accordance with these principles and maintain accountability to the government and wider public. In ensuring that high standards of governance are maintained, the ATSB will:
- maintain clear and open communication with the Minister and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the department), ensuring any issues are communicated promptly
- continue to provide quarterly progress reports to the Minister detailing the performance of the ATSB and relevant activities undertaken during the reporting period
- report publicly on its operations, including through the publication of its investigation reports and Annual Report
- implement the elements of the ATSB Governance Framework to ensure that integrity, transparency and accountability is maintained
- continue to manage both perceived and actual conflicts of interest appropriately by:
- ensuring the ATSB Commission reports any material personal interests to you in accordance with the PGPA Act and the TSI Act.
- publishing ATSB’s conflict of interest policy on its website
- regularly reviewing the conflicts of interest policy, processes and procedures
- maintaining a conflicts of interest register.
Strategic Direction
In fulfilling ATSB’s main function of improving transport safety, the ATSB will continue to adhere to applicable legislation and Government policies. The ATSB will continue to ensure our strategic approach to carrying out our function and delivering on our purpose is consistent with the Statement of Expectations and align with Australia’s international obligations, such as requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.
Consistent with the Minister’s Statement of Expectations, the ATSB will continue to:
- foster safety awareness through publicising safety information from its investigations, research and data analysis in a timely manner and through mediums and forums that target key stakeholders for safety messaging and education
- consistent with our jurisdiction outlined in the overview section, focus our resources on investigations that have the highest potential to deliver the greatest public transport safety benefit
- while maintaining our independence, complement and add value to the work of transport regulators, policy agencies, Defence and industry in Australia’s transport safety policy and regulatory framework
- through our engagement in international forums and partnerships with tertiary institutions, pursue global leadership in transport safety investigation, research and analysis
- review, improve and promote best practice investigation policies and practices, benchmarking itself against like organisations.
Overall, the ATSB’s strategic focus is to maximise safety outcomes across the aviation, marine and rail sectors. The ATSB achieves this through influencing stakeholders to foster safety awareness, knowledge and action, as well as positioning ATSB as an enduring and adaptable organisation that invests in its people, systems and partnerships. The ATSB directs its resources to investigations and activities that have the ability to deliver the greatest improvements to transport safety. This strategic focus allows the ATSB to make the most effective use of resources and respond rapidly to changes in the environment.
Key Initiatives
The ATSB will continue to use the corporate plan, annual report and quarterly performance report to communicate key initiatives and progress to the Minister. Through the period of the Statement of Intent, the ATSB will focus on the following priorities, consistent with the Statement of Expectations:
- Partnerships and collaboration – continue to invest in partnerships with educational institutions such as the RMIT University to enhance transport safety education and learning. Collaborate with other countries to improve accident investigation capability, including through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
- Staff development – continue to focus on staff development and growth, including through effective workforce planning and training to ensure that ATSB has the skills and expertise to meet current and emerging challenges in transport safety investigation. This includes focusing on developing leadership capability and implementing transport safety investigator competencies to ensure we have a capable, technical and engaged workforce.
- Research, data and communication – continue to invest in research activities, including collecting and analysing data on transport safety topics for the greatest public benefit. Focus on new and innovative communication mediums such as the use of video content to highlight safety messaging for the benefit of industry and the travelling public.
- Fiscal sustainability – work closely with the department to develop options to address long term financial sustainability for the ATSB, whilst continuing to operate in an efficient and effective manner and ensuring our resources are utilised effectively for the greatest public benefit.
Stakeholder Engagement
The ATSB collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders in fulfilling its functions under the TSI Act. The ATSB participates in national and international conferences, industry events and other relevant forums to build awareness of safety messages and instil public confidence in aviation, marine and rail transport. The ATSB will continue to engage with:
- the department and other government agencies to deliver comprehensive safety advice to government, industry and the public
- industry organisations to communicate safety advice and influence improvements to safety practices
- regulators and policy makers to ensure appropriate sharing and use of safety information
- education institutions such as RMIT University to provide a centre of excellence for transport safety investigation education
- the travelling public and wider community to foster public awareness and education of transport safety
- state, territory and local governments to undertake collaborative investigations in those jurisdictions, where applicable
- international counterparts, especially in the Asia Pacific region to build understanding and transport investigation capability.
The ATSB will use multiple channels and methods to influence safety action and instil public confidence in aviation, marine and rail transport.