Sunfish:
It appears that regulation of any industry in Australia (but particularly aviation) has now resulted in an interesting paradox.
1/ The conscientious operators are getting increasingly sick of the confusing, mishmash of ever changing regulation with no demonstrated safety benefit and are either a) ignoring them (relying on a good safety record as their backstop), or b) retiring.
2/ The cowboy operators (who have always known to keep their heads down) are now becoming increasingly sneakier in the ways they do business and avoid unwarranted attention.
Ergo - instead of the industry becoming safer, the industry is actually becoming less safe as the conscientious operators get sick of the bullsh!t and leave, leaving the cowboys as the last man standing....
Just a thought...