Never give up!
This advice comes from somebody far away, who knows nothing
about Australian courts, but the ideas may nonetheless have merit.
I recommend you contest the charge, for two obvious reasons:
1. The cop may not show up to give evidence, and then you may go free.
2. If you are convicted, you can still ask for a reduced fine,
or to have the suspension waived, because of your good driving record.
Here in USA, people found guilty of minor offences can take a brief course,
for a fee that is generally less than the fine, and escape such things as
demerit points on the license. Maybe something similar is available to you.
There are other reasons to fight. This is obviously not a major offence, but some day you may be charged with something serious, and the experience you gain from fighting this charge may come in handy. You will probably see other cases before yours and learn valuable information about giving testimony and questioning witnesses.
I fought a case long long ago, and I lost, but paid a reduced fine.
In exchange I got some very valuable information. Cops are totally willing
to lie under oath, and judges are completely ready and willing to believe
preposterous testimony from cops, so long as nobody points out that the
cop's testimony is unbelievable.
The actual scenario was this: a cop, parked off the road, near a busy intersection, saw someone commit an offence, but was too far away to read the license on the car. The cop testified that he kept his gaze rigidly fixed on the car whose driver broke the law, until he caught up with that car and stopped it. During that time, the cop crossed eastbound traffic, westbound traffic, and southbound traffic and transited a traffic light ... with his gaze constantly fixed on a northbound vehicle. Sure he did. The defendant was not on the ball, and did not realize that he should ask, "How did you cross six lanes of traffic without looking away from the northbound vehicle?"
Based on the cop's obvious lie, the magistrate convicted the defendant. Magistrates and cops are in collusion to score convictions, regardless of guilt or innocence.
If you have an experience anything like the one I have described, you may lose a lot of respect for the processes that go on in traffic court, but you will gain some tenacity and a staunch refusal to take any of this nonsense lying down.
So fight! I do, and I have beaten several charges when I deserved to be found guilty, quite enough to make the effort and nuisance financially worthwhile, entertaining, and very heart-warming.
Keith