The processes on each side of the ditch may have differed but I do recall that we were TOLD that VNZ crews would be doing some (limited) flying.
I think the realists within the VAA pilot groups acknowledged that it WAS going to happen and our approval was not necessarily going to be SOUGHT or NEEDED.
If you were waiting for approval to be declined by the Unions over here you would have been waiting a long time.
WE have the SAME problems!