Not exactly sure Nige, without doing any extensive research.
However..... the cost of installing 1 RADAR site, is said to be roughly the same cost as installing ADS-B receivers to cover the entire country.
So, while an ADS-B transponder may be more expensive than a normal transponder, the cost to the industry in terms of airservices charges, should be less. Whether or not ASA lower their fee's if they were to go entirely to ADS-B...... that remains to be seen. Unlikely.
So overall, probably more expensive Nige.
The benefits to the area's outside current RADAR coverage are immense though. I went out to Blackall today in Western QLD. I was identified only a few minutes after take off once I was high enough to be line of site to Longreach. Reduced seperation would make things a lot easier on some of the higher traffic routes, rather than being held down because of the large seperation requirements for procedural airspace.
Mick
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