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Greetings from Sydney
This has been going on in the Supreme Court of NSW for many years now. It was the first suggested by the Chief Judge at Common Law. Whilst it seems that it is now entrenched and perhaps the end product operates reasonably well, as a solicitor it is extraordinarily tedious to obtain the available dates from the other side in relation to the hot tub conferences before the hearing; and to agree on the joint questions. In my experience it leads to extra interlocatory hearings and ultimately I would say adds considerably to the costs.
I think that it shifts the role of the judge towards an inquisiter which in my view is a retrograde step. Read the wonderful comments of Lord Denning in Jones v National Coal Board on the role of the judge.He mentions it in one of his celebtarted memoirs.