Don't know how it would go down in Tassie, but the best option I found was to try for an el-cheapo student discard.
Seems necks are expendable in the guitar world.
As there isn't a Fender style short scale bass kit available, I've ordered a short scale neck with a view to sourcing a body later.
As luck would have it I scored a used SX pbass copy from a pawnbroker for the princely sum of $60.
This means that all of the hardware can be used in the project until further possible upgrades.
Meanwhile my burgeoning guitar neck collection is flourishing.