Wal, the regulator plays their part in how much this service costs. It will/would be virtually impossible to make money in most segments of aviation with CASA the way they are.
If a business cannot make a profit after paying it's employees, covering it's fixed & variable costs etc it should not be in business, full stop. Let the industry collapse, it's the only way CASA will be held to account. When they've destroyed it maybe some common sense will come into the equation?
You saw first hand when you got shafted, who benefits from this? If the RFDS pulled up stumps and said to the government 'can't do this anymore, see ya later' then the morons who took it over went the same way, what do you reckon would happen?
I'm good old mate, you won't be talking to me til you do Melbourne-Canberra! Have a good one