It is up to you guys to either pay these prices and thereby reinforce those pricing structures, or perhaps instead just opt for massage only, or a 1-2 pine option, and PUSH BACK.
It's getting ridiculous.
Here in QLD, we're still paying risk-surcharges, tolerate hidden and intransparent pricing, although the legal risk has been gone for a year now.
If you want a market comparable to Sydney, you need to do YOUR PART.