MJ: As everyone else has picked up on except you, I was being sarcastic about copying the US of A. Each FIR is unique and has its differences. Australia is no different.
As my old mate Roger said, WE DO NOT HAVE THE STAFF.
Give us the resources and I'm sure we'd gladly do it. But just by changing the airspace classification to upgrade the services does not mean it will be safer all of a sudden. Where will all the people come from?
Tell me what is safer - an experienced procedural tower crew providing descent and clearances in accordance with the DME and terrain steps or an enroute controller trying to monitor terrain in a 5NMx5NM space on a 700NM screen while providing these enhanced services to most of western Victoria and all of Tassie?
In my old sectors (most of eastern Vic and Southern NSW), before we gained the areas between Sydney and Canberra too, I counted over 70 unique instrument approachs that could be made into airfields that had some form of radar coverage. That's an awful lot to know and control.
You don't load a trailer full of bricks and hitch up the Moke, expecting that the pulling power will magically appear. You aquire a bigger car (resource) or split the load. Either way, you'll need more resources first. And just by scribbling out the towing capacity in the Moke's manual to match the weight you have doesn't change a thing. Something will give.
Cheers all. Carry on!
NFR.