Sydney base is getting up and running in Feb next year, according to an unplugged session a couple of months back. Though it is a base to be built up slowly, so dont expect any massive recruitment drives to fill up the Sydney base.
As for the CS who has been flying all of a year, please dont patronise us in briefing by talking about what to do in a rejected take off or such scenarios unless you are able to tell us what you would do - and I mean tell us what you would do in your own words, not word for word from the manual. Being able to think outside the square should be the main critieria observed when selecting a CS.