I fly in and out of Ballina regularly in my own IFR (and now ADSB equipped) lighty in all kinds of weather. Until the new RNP RNAV procedures came out, I would regularly be able to get in where the RPT’s couldn’t. I get radar identified most times at about 1100-1300’.
RPT, Emergency services, 2 flying schools (fixed wing – ex-Jetstar CFI, and rotary), GA + ultralight traffic coexist quite well. The local flying club is proactive enough to brief its members on what the IFR procedures are, so when Captain (or FO) Skygod in the inbound Airbus/Boeing/Embraer announces they are on the 06 or 22 RNAV at waypoint XX, folks know what they’re on about (still can’t get the Skygods to give a sensible VFR-intelligible position report - or an accurate ETA for that matter).
In low cloudbase conditions it is uncommon to have 2-3 IFR inbound/outbound and rare to have more than that. Occasionally there is a gaggle of RPT arrivals if things have gone wrong in Sydney and Rex, Virgin and Jetstar arrive at one. If the coast is clear and land is clagged in, there may be VFR aircraft in the area. That being said, I don’t see the fuss – even in turbulence and flying single pilot IFR with a single axis autopilot I monitor 2 frequencies and it doesn’t take too much to sort out what is a safe altitude or sector. As for Brisbane Centre being unable to give updates ….
Can’t see how a UNICOM would help – in true low cloudbase situation a UNICOM would not have primary or secondary radar to call traffic and it would be no better than self-separation which has worked fine and continues to work fine.
For more info on Ballina airspace:
www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/oar/papers/ballina-study.pdf