Wow, price in AU is that high?

For that price (equal to US$ 2,000) here in the US we can get more features!

Womble, I would suggest to reconsider. I have an 8 years old Yamaha receiver and still doing a good job so this little thing last for many many years. If you plan to go high def in the future (even not near future), I would suggest getting a receiver that at least has HDMI inputs. And don't forget about HD audio capabiliities that offer lossless audio (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio etc) but of course they are supported through HDMI.

Perhaps you can get a separate receiver and speakers if that is a cheaper route?

Anyway, the Yamaha V661 or Onkyo SR605 here in the US is about US$ 400-500.
The new Yamaha V663 looks very interesting.