Forecasts and the Regional Met Offices

[DropYourSocks]

G'day all,

So in times gone by when I've needed ROFORs in the middle of the night or TAFs issued a bit earlier or valid until later, I've called the applicable bom regional office as listed in the jepps, and on all occasions they have been happy to help. (Perth and cairns offices). Recently though I called the sydney office to get a TAF issued an hour earlier, and was told in no uncertain terms that i had to go through air services and that they wouldn't issue it until its regular time. So my query is that have I just been lucky in the past to get onto someone helpful, or have I just been unnecessarily stonewalled during my latest experience?

I'd be interested to hear particularly from those folk who are regularly out back of the clock.

Hold onto your socks.

[FJ44]

In the previous 10 years I have probably requested an early or extended TAF on average perhaps once or twice a year.
The forecaster was always obliging and the amendments were made within 15 mins normally if requesting at short notice or the TAF was reissued with the extended validity near the end of its original validity
In late 2013 I was told that this was no longer going to be available and the request had to come through official channels so that they had some one to bill for the extended TAF coverage.
This meant that short notice amendments were not possible any longer.
Not sure how true it was but that's what one forecast centre manager told me and I haven't needed to try again since then.