VA still sells entry for $60. A colleague used it this year when there were 3 of us and I took one guest.
QANTAS lounge staff look at you distastefully if you ask to pay for single entry.
I can't see the point of the subscription personally. If you fly often enough to need it, you'll get free...
My silver to gold last month took 3 days. I rang them after it upgraded to fix up status from flights I'd taken between qualifying and actually being upgraded.