VH registered aircraft are soon to pay annual registration fees

[Blueadventures]

Looks like VH aircraft will be subject to annual registration fees.

 

It might be that RAAus is a better option cost wise considering the included insurance cover etc.

Edited 20 hours ago by Blueadventures

[Blueadventures]

From AOPA Australia site.

 

2026-27 FEDERAL BUDGET REVEALS CASA SET TO INTRODUCE ANNUAL REGISTRATION COSTS FOR VH AIRCRAFT, CITING A NEED TO IMPROVE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND SAFETY OUTCOMES

Page 128 of the Budget 2026-27 Book 2 has revealed that CASA will soon introduce annual registration fees on VH registered aircraft, adding further cost impost and regulatory burden on the Australian general aviation industry. The budget document claims that the introduction of new annual fees will improve regulatory compliance and safety outcomes.

"Once again aircraft owners in Australia are about to be smashed with unnecessary costs that will lead to further industry decline,

"To assert that introducing annual registration fees has any relationship or bearing on regulatory compliance or safety is incredibly dishonest of CASA and a blatantly misleading argument,

"Aircraft registration is a simple administrative function and CASA knows this fact but is choosing to play smoke and mirrors,

"Aircraft registration costs were removed in the 1990's and a fuel levy was introduced to provide funding for CASA,

"Re-introducing an aircraft registration cost and not withdrawing the fuel levy amounts to double dipping from aircraft owners,

"By introducing annual registration fees CASA will create for itself an entire system of fee processing that will require dedicated staff and resources. These ever increasing costs will then be forced onto aircraft owners through an ever ratcheting of annual registration charges,

"What's next... a CASA charge when your Maintenance Release is issued? This is the thin edge of the wedge that results in destroying the viability of our aviation industry."

"Most galling is that the planned annual aircraft registration fees have made their way into the Federal Governments 2026-27 budget, yet there has been ZERO consultation with the industry by the regulator,

"Worse still, how can CASA consult with industry now in good faith, now that we are all aware they have a plan to introduce the fees regardless of the any feedback we provide?"

Benjamin Morgan

Advocate for AOPA Australia

See less

[BurnieM]

I cannot find this on the AOPA Australia website.

I cannot find any news articles at all after 2024.

Is AOPA still functioning (serious question) ?

 

[Blueadventures]

28 minutes ago, BurnieM said:

I cannot find this on the AOPA Australia website.

I cannot find any news articles at all after 2024.

Is AOPA still functioning (serious question) ?

 

On their Facebook site.

[BurnieM]

https://www.facebook.com/AOPAaustralia/

 

Still a bit weird that no updates on their website.

 

[planedriver]

It's a myth that all aircraft owners are wealthy.

Sadly not all see it that way. 

A bit more of give us your cashitis, you could call it plane robbery. 

[onetrack]

What a bloody rort. This is Govt greed, using the old American "nickel-and-dime-ya" technique. I'm sick of this, "fee for this, fee for that, fee for everything you touch" Govt mentality that rules today.

Can't even visit a National park for free any more - out in the middle on nowhere, they'll have a system for collecting fees, just to have a look around. And once the fees are in place, they just keep getting ramped up every year.

And every fee collection system introduced, involves more public servants to collect and administer the fees and charges.

[FlyBoy1960]

they seem to be after every dollar and sent they can get.

 

 private pilot's license annual fee equals zero dollars

 

 commercial pilot's license annual fee equals zero dollars

 

REOC (drone) pilots license annual fee equals $480 per year.

 

 so, the drone industry was going gangbusters so they figured they could charge everybody $480 a year to have a license. Only about 30% of these are being renewed and everyone else is just ignoring the charge and doing what they want. Before too long a PPL and a CPL will come at a fee.

 

Of course it is only going to be an amount that will "cost recover" and nothing more!

 

just wait, if they are going to charge for aircraft registration, they will certainly charge for pilots licensing

 

Edited 4 hours ago by FlyBoy1960

[FlyBoy1960]

2 hours ago, onetrack said:

What a bloody rort. This is Govt greed, using the old American "nickel-and-dime-ya" technique. I'm sick of this, "fee for this, fee for that, fee for everything you touch" Govt mentality that rules today.

Can't even visit a National park for free any more - out in the middle on nowhere, they'll have a system for collecting fees, just to have a look around. And once the fees are in place, they just keep getting ramped up every year.

And every fee collection system introduced, involves more public servants to collect and administer the fees and charges.

I was recently up at Laura on Cape York and revisited an Aboriginal rock art site that I first visited when I was about 15 years old, many years ago.

This time, the local Aboriginal group had installed some photographs, a shelter, and a strongbox with signage stating that payment was required — I believe it was around $20 per person — to walk approximately 500 metres up the hill to view the rock art.

The night before, however, the local publican told us that although the signs suggested payment was required, it was apparently only intended as a contribution and that they had no real authority to charge people to visit the site. He described it more as an attempt to encourage tourists to donate money.

Based on that understanding, our small group decided to visit the site. In the end, we did not even stay long enough to see the rock art properly because a storm started coming through and we turned back before even getting to the site.

About six weeks later, we unexpectedly received notices in the mail and fines issued by an Aboriginal Land Council for allegedly failing to pay the fees. It appears they are recording vehicle number plates and somehow obtaining registered owner details through the Queensland Government in order to contact people afterwards.

What surprised me most is that if people entered my own private property, there is absolutely no way I would ever be given access to vehicle registration details or home addresses by the government in order to pursue payment afterwards.

Just my two cents’ worth.

[facthunter]

It would NOT be from anything in the budget . As far as I know Casa was funded from fuel related imposts and CASA was meant to Pass some of that on to RAAus bit discontinued the Process  unilateraly, Maybe CASA could trim their expenses as they have less "Little " planes to worry about.  FAT chance of that Happening. Nev

[BurnieM]

Story on Australian Flying

 

[facthunter]

There has always been a user Pays philosophy. They have to justify their extra expenses..  These days they have More Lawyers  as a % than in the past. THAT doesn't help Pilots. Nev

[planedriver]

3 hours ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

I was recently up at Laura on Cape York and revisited an Aboriginal rock art site that I first visited when I was about 15 years old, many years ago.

This time, the local Aboriginal group had installed some photographs, a shelter, and a strongbox with signage stating that payment was required — I believe it was around $20 per person — to walk approximately 500 metres up the hill to view the rock art.

The night before, however, the local publican told us that although the signs suggested payment was required, it was apparently only intended as a contribution and that they had no real authority to charge people to visit the site. He described it more as an attempt to encourage tourists to donate money.

Based on that understanding, our small group decided to visit the site. In the end, we did not even stay long enough to see the rock art properly because a storm started coming through and we turned back before even getting to the site.

About six weeks later, we unexpectedly received notices in the mail and fines issued by an Aboriginal Land Council for allegedly failing to pay the fees. It appears they are recording vehicle number plates and somehow obtaining registered owner details through the Queensland Government in order to contact people afterwards.

What surprised me most is that if people entered my own private property, there is absolutely no way I would ever be given access to vehicle registration details or home addresses by the government in order to pursue payment afterwards.

Just my two cents’ worth.

That's utter BS.

Numberplate technology comes at a pretty hefty price, but so does the extra wages for all the people involved who process these so called indisgressions.

Time to think seriously to whom we vote for.

Don't visit there, and they get nothing. Just what they deserve. 

Unfortunately, greed is so contageous these days.

[440032]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

It would NOT be from anything in the budget . As far as I know Casa was funded from fuel related imposts and CASA was meant to Pass some of that on to RAAus bit discontinued the Process  unilateraly, Maybe CASA could trim their expenses as they have less "Little " planes to worry about.  FAT chance of that Happening. Nev

Page 128 of the Budget 2026-27 book 2.

"Following consultation": (HA! Consultation - They borrow your watch, tell you what the time is, and then keep your watch.)

Annual VH aircraft registrations to be introduced to improve regulatory compliance and safety outcomes.

Existing fees and charges to be streamlined to improve administration and reflect regulatory costs. ("streamlined" - to charge you more, quicker than ever before?)

Edited 56 minutes ago by 440032

[Thruster88]

One perhaps unwanted side effect of VH annual registration$ will be that the number of active aircraft will become known. The current 17,000 ish VH aircraft on the register may fall to 13,000? This may require a reduction in casa staff numbers. I believe casa do not currently keep a list of VH aircraft that have a maintenance release. Data is interesting. Bean counters love it.

[Student Pilot]

4 hours ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

they seem to be after every dollar and sent they can get.

 

 private pilot's license annual fee equals zero dollars

 

 commercial pilot's license annual fee equals zero dollars

 

REOC (drone) pilots license annual fee equals $480 per year.

 

 so, the drone industry was going gangbusters so they figured they could charge everybody $480 a year to have a license. Only about 30% of these are being renewed and everyone else is just ignoring the charge and doing what they want. Before too long a PPL and a CPL will come at a fee.

 

Of course it is only going to be an amount that will "cost recover" and nothing more!

 

just wait, if they are going to charge for aircraft registration, they will certainly charge for pilots licensing

 

Commercial annual fee might be nil but it it costs CASA to process your medical and depending on how old you are it can cost further north of $2000 to do the tests required