Did you check with the Australian consulate?

Re how long it takes: I got my family reunification visa in Sydney. We tried to organise it via email from Brisbane, but it was all a bit hard so took the opportunity when visiting Sydney on our farewell tour to visit the office in Bondi Junction. We handed over passports and documentation (including a letter from employer stating length of contract - in our case 2 years) and collected them back as promised 3 days later.