I wrote the following in this thread (
http://www.pprune.org/d-g-general-av...ntre-tiba.html) which has been moved, but thought it worth repeating here.
Just saw this Notam seems yet another staff shortage.
The staff shortage is always there, just not always visible to industry.
Civil Air (the air traffic controller's Association) maintains a log on their site of all NOTAMed TIBAs, tower closures, and delays due staff shortage (see
Civil Air Australia - Home).
The NOTAMs indicate when there where none (TIBA), or not enough controllers (delays) to run the airspace or tower. When delays are NOTAMed, it can sometimes mean that there is only one controller on duty, and if they require a break (to go to the toilet for example) then they have to leave the console unmanned during a "short break procedure". The delay NOTAMs can also indicate that the controller you are speaking to is running more airspace than normally acceptable. What is not shown in NOTAMs is how many times controllers have come in on days off to cover the day to day operations.
The NOTAMs really only are the tip of the iceberg. Airspace/tower staffing is the last thing to give in the system, with resources being drained from other important areas to keep things running. The continued staff shortages mean that there are not enough ATC staff to do some of the other duties they perform away from the coal face. Training and procedures for example.
Training has particularly suffered. Indeed it was one of the first things to be cut when Greg Russell (current Airservices Australia CEO) arrived in 2005, in order to maximise profits.
No simulator refresher training has taken place for Inflight Emergencies or system failures for controllers in the last 2-3 years. There are controllers who have not done simulator refresher training in their career. Imagine if that was an airline pilot without that training.