Snarek,
Thanks for considering the freq. boundary question - look forward to your reply.
Gee whizzz, between 4500' and 18,000' eh. Boy, all those Jumbos down at 4500 better watch out, especially just west of Merimbula!!!!
No, probably not 4500 west of Merimbula, but definitely below 18,000 approaching 45DME SY or 30DME BN and ML. It's Class C now, but will be Class E next month. A VFR can, without any requirement to advise intentions, operate up to FL180 this close to these cities. They can potentially conflict with descending and climbing jet traffic, as well as regional RPT turbos that commonly operate below these levels on climb and descent.
There are a number of safety issues already identified in previous posts: xponder failure, radio failure, reliance on TCAS and see and avoid. Introducing E airspace in November so close to the major cities will remove some of the safety nets already in place to minimise the risk of collision (Class C airspace, radar identification, 2-way comms). It increases risk, so definitely a less safe airspace design.