Yes tha VCA number surprised me to, considering the little bit of airspace I am familiar with probably has around 50-80 VCA's every WEEK.
Some readers have PM me that they could not open the link?
If one cast's their mind back to the many incarnations of NAS, we had TCAS RA's being described not as BOS but as Airprox - surely an airprox should be included under the Courier-Mail classification of a "Close-Call"? If so, I would bet that the number of "Close-Calls" was a lot higher during those heady times. This was in (the best) radar coverage (in the world).
http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/2004.../2004_33A.aspx
Interestingly, at the time, there was an attack on the ATSB and Airservices:
ATSB COVERS UP AGAIN FOR AIRSERVICES’ INCOMPETENCE
RADAR NOT USED AGAIN IN NEAR MIDAIR
PLANS TO ROLL BACK TO 1930s MARCONI SYSTEM
In my opinion (disclaimer: opinion only) the confusion that has lingered since the many NAS stops and starts has only resulted in more VCA / BOS / Airprox / Close Calls / Brown Trousers than prior to it's introduction.
But hey thats just my 'belief'.
With the dismantling of AUSFIC, and those duties being placed on the sector controllers, the airspace restructure, and the ATC staffing review, the issue of whether ATC can discharge their
current duties should be of more immediate concern - instead of calling for the
addition of extra Radar services.
(Add to this that by this time next year Airservices will probably have a new CEO - and no doubt a whole bunch of new neat ideas, and associated budget milestones (!) to make his mark.)
Remember: Fight the issues - not the Personalities