awqward, there is a massive lack of service to VFR's in this country, most of it is due to an ingrained culture within ASA and training officers teaching ATC trainees to do so, regardless of whether there is a plan in the system or not.
There is a 'they donot pay for a service so why should we provide one' attitude. Ignorant & wrong, they do pay whether they use a service or not. It's embarrassing to fly in the States and realise just how backward, beaurecratic & lazy the Australian system & culture is. It wouldn't be tolerated over there.
Having said that, ATC is massively under resourced in this country, by the numbers Australian controllers control more traffic than most, some sector sizes are huge, done by one person with no inky. They do, at times get pretty busy.