Aussie. No. It was mandatory. I removed the mandatory reqirement when I became chairman in 1991.
It was mandatory full position reporting above 5000' because IFR and VFR flew at the same levels. When Flight Service gave you traffic information they did not tell you if the traffic was IFR of VFR as that was not relevant.
When I flew around Australia in 1984 in the jetranger I had to put in a full position flight plan to go to Raine Island off Cape York. Flight Service then called me and said that they had calculated that I would be too far over water without floats .
That's how concerned they were for you in those days.
But I did love all the FS outstations at places like Weipa and Ceduna The FS officer would even loan me his car !