Well all I can say is the cart before the horse! (or is it the other way around?)
Just look at it... The model is based on the US system apparently. When I sat for a PPL I had to do years ago, (another story), over there I seem to remember that rader went down to about 800 ft everywhere and they were more densely populated with a hell of a lot more flight service and control towers (don't even get me started on how an aircraft halfway across the continent can be on the same frequency in Australia!) Now what % of AUS does radar cover to that low level? Buggar all!
The system may perhaps work if they introduce the ADS-B (think that's what it's called) first. It's not radar but it's bloody close from what I hear it's suppose to do. Get the aircraft fitted with it, come up with units that will be affordable and easily fitted to all VH registered aircraft. And put in the 200 base stations, not the token 20 that will only give proper coverage to aircraft above FL300 who are in class A up there anyway!
Put the frequency boundaries back in, I mean not having them is just plain moronic to say the least.
See and be seen? I've had a A330 on TCAS and was looking in the area of sky to pick it up (1000ft above) and it wasn't until it filled our windscreen that I saw it (coming in from my 1-2 o'clock closing at over 500kts) Even with ATC giving info on it didn't pick it up until the last minute, so heaven help seeing something smaller! My point is that there are various reasons that sometimes you just can't pick up an aircraft visually (lighting, angle of closure, background behind the target, the sun, the bugs on the windscreen - whatever, even with TCAS to help and 2 pairs of eyes!) I agree Keg TCAS should be the last line but the way things go on out there especially OCTA, I know I'm glad I've got the extra support from it!
Just plain stupid!
And what ever happened to the customer always being right!
let's just put it off and say as is (even though that has some serious room for improvement!), until the datalink is FULLY in place then impliment the airspace to compliment it. What's the rush?
My 2 cents
SP