Another weak report from the ATSB. It is dramatically late and despite the fact that they have (Area) had radio transcripts for weeks, there is scant reference to them in the preliminary report.
The report does however confirm that both aircraft had ADS-B which was being received by ATC. The preliminary report also confirms that neither aircraft was in in VFR conditions. The system that we have all had to invest large amounts in equipment upgrades in our aircraft and it would appear to have not given the safety improvement we were promised.
Hootsen suggests that both boundaries and classification are deficient
Cavok suggests that " Airservices internal procedures in for Melbourne airspace" are to blame.
Advance says "The system is broken - but not at the workface level.
It is broken at the management level in both OAR and Airservices.
By definition, IFR aircraft can not separate themselves visually and giving them traffic does NOT solve the problem.
IFR aircraft are frequently constrained to fly one flight path and one only - they have no choice; consider an instrument approach for example."
Either way, the cause of this accident lies at the feet of AsA and / or OAR. And I think if previous submissions were reviewed, it would be found that they had warnings. There is not the faintest hint in the preliminary report that either aircraft crew has contributed as was speculated by many on this forum immediately after the accident.
4 people are dead because they put their trust in a deficient system that failed them. Compare the attention that 4 police officers who died on the Eastern freeway is getting. It would appear that at least 1 person will go to jail for a long time for the Eastern Freeway incident. This is an event of greater significance and should get the same attention.