Considering that the "Zulu" is primarily a "Whiskey" with a four-bladed rotor system similar to that already flying in the Bell 412, I wouldn't think it that big a gamble. Yes, there are system upgrades, but, really, that's the major difference.
Yes but you are talking common since and reality, I am talking ADF procurement from the late 90s to the mid to late 2000s. Layer upon layer of compliance and bureaucracy, multiple gateways, then the department of Prime Minister and Cabinet does whatever they want, irrespective of the official and expert recommendation. Basically if a company can put together a good presentation that convinced the PMs team they got the contract, no matter what the services actually wanted or needed, not even the defence minister had much, if any, say, the service chiefs were ignored and the actual operators for all intents and purposes didn't exist for the amount of attention they received.
It was absolutely ridiculous, there was this huge bureaucracy and the services themselves, with all these talented and experienced people putting huge amounts of effort into selecting the right gear who were given all these hoops to jump through, road blocks to get around and then they were just ignored and the PM signed off on what ever his department told him was cheapest, or would win the most votes with no regard to actual capability needs, risk, or true through life costs.
Sorry about the rant but we could have had Whiskys or Apaches in the 90s at less cost than the still not FOC Tigers. The latest Australian Aviation has an article on the Tigers and says that replacement of the fleet with AH-64Es instead of a mid life upgrade is an option that is seriously being considered, if this is the case then what a complete, total waste of money the initial buy was.