Creamy in answer to your first question here is a segment from the transcript:
Senator XENOPHON: So, regarding the bureau's staffing at Norfolk and Christmas Islands, what is the current position in those two places?
Mr Hanstrum: At Norfolk Island there are three observing staff rostered on duty from around seven o'clock in the morning through until—
Senator XENOPHON: It is four o'clock sometimes? It could be as early as 4 am?
Mr Hanstrum: Normally it is 6 am to 7 am.
Which would appear to gel with the remark on the end of the 0630 METAR; "
CLOSE TILL 1930UTC". So from around that time of the day BoM forecasters are totally reliant on the auto wx station, sat pics and synoptics plus the NFI wx radar to produce a forecast (TAF).
In terms of the forecasts for Norfolk that were put out, I find the TAF AMD put out 0803 the most disconcerting given the METAR/SPECI info prior to 0803, see here:
TAF issued at 0803 UTC on 18 November 2009
TAF AMD YSNF 180803Z 1808/1824
26008KT 9999 BKN010
FM181500 16012KT 9999 -SHRA BKN010
RMK
T 21 18 18 17 Q 1012 1013 1013 1013
Just doesn't seem to fit the pattern of trending weather and when you read the 0958 UTC TAF:
TAF issued at 0958 UTC on 18 November 2009
TAF AMD YSNF 180958Z 1810/1824
26008KT 9999 -SHRA BKN010
FM181500 16012KT 9999 -SHRA BKN010
TEMPO 1810/1824 4000 SHRA BKN005
RMK
T 19 18 17 18 Q 1013 1013 1012 1014
Kind of like the forecasters in charge of that region have gone to sleep for 2-3hrs to then wake up and have a "oh fcuk" moment...
By the way the BoM submission has been posted on the Senate submissions page
Senate Committees – Parliament of Australia