As usual, this is a case of confusion caused by piecemeal and uncoordinated changes to AIP.
It’s obvious that the sentence about a GAF being ‘good enough’, in the case of a flight to a destination for which a prescribed instrument approach procedure does not exist, was plonked at the end of para 1.2.1 of ENR 1.10 without a review of the other provisions of AIP that refer to “aerodrome” forecasts.
ENR 1.10 is headed “Flight Planning”, but is sprinkled with operational assertions, like the circumstances in which a flight may depart and continue.
Para 1.1 of ENR 1.10 is merely a list of the things which must be ‘carefully studied’ in formulating a plan for “flights away from the vicinity of an aerodrome, flights over water and all IFR flights”. The “forecast information” mandated for ‘careful study’ by para 1.2.1 is limited by para 1.1. That’s why paras 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 start with the words: “For flights for which [a forecast / an aerodrome forecast] is required ...”. If a forecast was required in all cases, those words would be redundant.
But then paras 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 drift into operational rather than planning matters, and confusingly so. They purport to determine whether or not you are “permitted” to depart and continue. Since when is “planning” the same as “doing”?
Para 1.2.2 says:
For flights for which a forecast is required and cannot be obtained, the flight is permitted to depart provided the pilot is satisfied that the weather at the departure point will permit the safe return of the flight within one hour of departure. The flight is permitted to continue provided a suitable forecast is obtained for the intended destination within 30 minutes after departure.
Note that para 1.2.2 starts out talking about “a forecast” - not specifically an aerodrome forecast - but ends by referring to a “suitable forecast ... for the intended destination”.
According to para 1.2.3:
For flights to a destination for which an aerodrome forecast is required and cannot be obtained or is “provisional”, the flight is permitted to depart provided an alternate aerodrome meeting all the requirements specified in ENR 1.1 Section 11.7 is provided.
Good luck working out the interaction between those two paragraphs. If I make provision for an alternate meeting all of the requirements specified in ENR 1.1. Section 11.7 in my flight plan, am I “permitted” to continue my flight if I can’t obtain “a suitable forecast” for my “intended destination” within 30 minutes after departure? Who knows.
Over in ENR 1.1 Section 11.7 headed “Alternative Aerodromes”, para 11.7.1.3 says:
When an aerodrome forecast is not available or is “provisional”, the pilot in command must make provision for a suitable alternate that has a firm forecast.
I searched for the term “firm forecast” on the BOM website and in GEN 2.2, to no avail. And do the words plonked at the end of ENR 1.10 para 1.2.1 about GAFs also apply to ENR 1.1 para 11.7.1.3 so that “aerodrome forecast” means something that is not an “aerodrome forecast”? Who knows.
I do hope Mr Harfield and Mr Carmody received Cartier watches as a bonus this year, in addition to their circa $1 million (Mr H) and circa $600K (Mr C) salaries, to recognise the great job they’ve done in contributing to safety through simplicity!