ASFA tried to pull together an organisation like this about 4 years ago and in fact got it through the formative stages. It then withered on the vine as apathy and each and every secular component of aviation decided that either they alone represented aviation (AOPA by way of example but not alone) or that they just didn't want someone else representing their individual voice (such as QANTAS but also not alone).
It even got to the stage of meeting with the minister and the then head of CASA Bruce B. I was there and can still remember Bruce saying it would be great to see it succeed but his closing words was good luck as he didn't think it would for all the reasons above.
That organisation was
AUSAC which had links in its early stage to ASFA. It's chairman was (and maybe still is?) a senior manager with NJS and even got QF on board, but conditional on them representing themselves as they saw fit. AOPA management of the day turned their back on the process as they insisted they represent themselves.
AUSAC has gone quite of late and I think it is very much dormant and as said above someone has to fund it. The industry is very much its own worst enemy in these matters as a previous industry association that had some success in the ealry 90's (I think it was called the Aviation Industry Assocition [AIA]) had both AN & QF supporting it, but then along came a new management in AOPA and that ship sunk about that time.
The simple answer to this question is YES, the industry needs a truly representative organisation to bat for everyone, but self interest seems to be well above doing something for the greater good and sadly I don't think it will happen.
Of course it suits CASA and other Government Depts to have an industry that is divided and unable to represent itself across the board.
During times that we have had such a body (eg: the early 90's) the industry was indeed listened to. I remember one meeting in CBR about that time when the CAA (or whatever it was then) proposed changes to user charges. After much heated discussion, the leader of the then Association walked out of the meeting and was followed by all the other industry leaders of the day. Guess what? They were all talking again very soon and the industry achieved much of what it was trying to achieve. As indicated above that very successful group was sunk by a change in management of one of its major members. (ego again I guess??)
Bottom line is that it is all about funding. Everyone agrees we need it, they still want their own say and nobody wants to pay!!!
As said above, the RAPAC process has been successful for almost 30 years now and that is mainly because it has been supported by CASA/ASA and its previous entities. Its works best when industry has pro-active people involved, but that has always been the case.
