Actually I referenced that in post #40, but A, B, C and D alone do not define controlled airspace. Controlled airspace is A, B, C, D and E (AIP ENR 1.2). RAA can fly in class E controlled airspace. CAO 95.55 no longer says anything about restricted areas.
API doesn't say the airspace is equivalent, it says the service is equivalent. You choose to interpret service = airspace, but I don't see that as true. They could have said active restricted airspace is equivalent to class C if that was what they meant, but they did not.
Yes you are required to follow the ops manual, and it could have had something explicit about restricted areas, but it just points back to CAO 95.55.
I don't really GAF, I have a PPL but you are reading extra stuff in that isn't there. I have no issue if CASA change the regulations to prevent RAA in restricted areas, it might even be a good idea. But I see no existing rule. (But there may be something in other areas I haven't looked at...)