Lucifer wrote:

The ACMA wrote:

7 December 2020
Decision on possible use of the 5351.5–5366.5 kHz band by the amateur
service
Consultation on use of the 5351.5–5366.5 kHz band by the amateur
service closed in June 2020.
The consultation paper presented 4 options:
• Option 1: Australia-wide access to the whole band
(5351.5–5366.5 kHz) but excluding Queensland and zones around existing transmitters.
• Option 2: Australia-wide access to 5351.5–5365 kHz, that is,
exclude the top 1.5 kHz to mitigate against most known sharing issues.
• Option 3: Segmented and/or channelised use to mitigate against interference to existing services.
• Option 4: No amateur use.
The ACMA received 197 public and 2 non-public submissions.
The public submissions are available on our website.
When weighing up spectrum use, we consider the objects of the
Radiocommunications Act 1992. This includes:
• Maximising public benefit from the use of the radio spectrum.
• Making provision for spectrum use by Australian defence or
national security agencies. This was of high importance in this
matter.
In balancing defence’s existing use of the 5351.5–5366.5 kHz band
against the impacts of introducing use by the amateur service, the
ACMA has decided not to support amateur use in the band. The decision
paper in the key documents section of the consultation gives the
reasons for our decision.
Public and non-public submissions from the Department of Defence
showed that expanding the use of the 5351.5–5366.5 kHz band to
potentially several thousand amateur operators could impact important
radiocommunications operations.
The ACMA recognises the high level of interest shown by the amateur
community in adding this band, and understands there will be
disappointment.
However, we are confident the decision is appropriate and consistent
with the objects of the Radiocommunications Act. In particular, this
includes supporting defence and national interest objectives.

What are the thoughts on this?

My thought is that Australia already has some useful privileges that we
don't have here in the US, such as SSB on 10M.

It's a shame that you don't get 60M... but 60M here in the US is already
kind of crippled with the channellization. It is still a very fun band
because it's open even when 40M is closed, and it's an interesting place
to just hang out and talk when 80M and 40M are packed with contesters.
But it's not a huge loss.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."