I’m not sure what the cost is in Australia, however in the USA the cost is nil – there is no requirement to renew an instrument rating. It is ever lasting as long as you keep up the recency requirements – which are less costly than Australia.
Isn’t it interesting that the USA, with its terrible weather, does not need the enormous impost on the industry of instrument rating renewals?
Of course there is the potential to make changes here. The CEO of CASA has issued a directive for Australia to harmonise with the regulations of leading overseas countries. There is great potential to follow the US system so safety dollars are not misallocated in hugely expensive instrument rating renewals which are not required in other countries.