Sorry guys, history lesson time.
From 1948 until 1982 the RAN was built around carriers. Initially two, then after defence cuts in the mid 50s (ironically just after they had proven themselves in combat), one.
The capability was great but very expensive with an opportunity cost on other needed capabilities. For instance the post war fleet was to have included new light cruisers, as well as roughly double the number of destroyers and frigates.
In the 1960s it was determined the RAN needed submarines, light destroyers (basically sloops) and patrol boats to supplement the existing fleet. This was part of plans to evolve the RAN into a two ocean navy. This ideally would have had three light carriers, 23 destroyers and frigates, and eight submarines, to provide a realistic, usable capability on each coast.
The submarines and patrol boats were acquired, but only six instead of eight subs, as the funding for the last two was diverted to new / additional aircraft for the FAA. The light destroyers evolved into the DDL, numbers dropped from ten, to help bring combatant numbers up to 23, to just three to replace the Daring Class destroyers.
The DDL program was cancelled in the early 70s and the first two FFGs were ordered instead.
As we know the one for one carrier replacement fell over. This was meant to trigger an increase in combatant numbers, especially as the two ocean navy had proceeded but without the required numbers.
The fleet initially, with a carrier was meant look like, one carrier, three DDG, up to ten FFG, maybe or maybe not six DE or their replacements (Type 23 ASW frigate?), fifteen PBs, five PB based FAC.
This evolved into the Dibb review / White paper fleet of three DDG and six FFG, in tier 1, six DE to be reclassified as patrol frigates and then replaced by eight new patrol frigates in tier 2, and about twelve missile armed, helicopter equipped light combatants to replace the PBs in tier 3. Plus eight submarines.
Also the training vessel / auxillary transport, Jervis Bay was to be replaced by an aviation support and training ship with a secondary amphibious role. Tobruk was to be retained.
Basically the surface fleet shrank from its planned post war level to accommodate the overheads of carriers, then when the last carrier went in the early 80s, every attempt to increase numbers failed. In fact, the already too low numbers were reduced further and this became the status quo.