This is stupid to say the least. The new remote being bluetooth and having volume control (let alone touch) for the TV is still an improvement over the previous Apple TV version. It looks like I'll be sourcing an Australian model.
The new Siri Remote will, at launch, only be available in eight countries at launch: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. Apple says that the new Apple TV in all other countries will be packaged with the existing Apple TV Remote.