I don’t think it’s so much about Australia’s GA sector being weak Bill Pike. I think it’s more that in Australia the citizens are far more culturally comfortable with the concept of being the subjects of government and individual rights being subordinated to the government. If something is being controlled by government, it must be necessary and good. Why else would the government do it?
Citizens accept that Australia couldn’t possibly defend itself if it didn’t have thousands of cubic kilometres of almost-continuously empty airspace from which mere citizens are presumptively banned but tolerated under strict controls. How would Australia’s airborne military forces be able to train effectively, if they had to deal with the threat of unidentified and uncontrolled traffic?
Citizens accept that it’s complicated enough joining and flying in the circuit – what with the ‘fast jet’ speeds and all the buttons and moving pictures and all that – without mere citizens flying, unannounced, in a straight line at 140kts at 5,500’ overhead. Some citizens are rumoured to be carrying toilet rolls on board as well…
And citizens know that, but for those red lines on the charts and the military traps set to spring if the lines are crossed, bad guys would be flying suicide missions into military bases. “Dirka dirka, mohammed jihad, dammit restricted area we must ask for a clearance, dirka allah.”