Not entirely true. there are a number of prime brokers around...

Not entirely true. there are a number of prime brokers around where you can get a big list of shorts. Access to short outside of asx 200 depends on two elements typically, 1. that another account holder owns the stock, and 2, they allow that position to be "leant out" so that another account holder can "borrow" the stock to short it.... I

also wouldn't trust any short positions registers. It requires self reporting on the short and the covering side to be accurate. I would be surprised if it is not being abused by the big end of town.