FWIW for the discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald Archive, Thursday, February 15, 1979
Flight ban lifted after rule change
By DAVID ROBERTSON, Transport Reporter
Airline pilots lifted their ban on flights into Australia's 39 uncontrolled airports late yesterday afternoon.
The Australian Federation of Airline Pilots lifted the ban after the Department of Transport promulgated new regulations covering light aircraft operating below 1,500 metres (5,000 feet).
Under the new rules, light aircraft pilots will have to broadcast their position at 32 kilometres (instead of 16km) from an uncontrolled airport. Flight Service Officers must inform scheduled passenger aircraft of any light aircraft in their vicinity.
The ban was imposed on Tuesday night and grounded scores of flights by Fokker F27s and smaller commuter aircraft.
It was lifted after members of the [Professional] Radio and Electronics Institute, who are Flight Service Officers, agreed to the amendments to air safety procedures for light aircraft.
Late last week, the pilots claimed rules issued in November — allowing light aircraft to fly in uncontrolled airspace below 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) without lodging a flight plan — had caused many near-misses. They said they would impose a ban unless the rules were changed.
A meeting between the pilots and the department established a basis for agreement, but officials of the Institute said they wanted more time to consider the situation. The pilots refused to wait and imposed the ban. Yesterday the Institute accepted the basis of agreement. The worst-affected of the domestic airlines. East-West Airlines and Airlines of NSW, were back to normal services last night.