Hey there Ktl24,
I attended assessment on 5th of August in Brisbane and I guess we're both in the same boat. I've also spoken with Altara a number of times and yes they've always been extremely helpful. I'm starting to feel bad for my constant follow up and starting to worry about the status of our application. I've also made it through my reference check with only an update via email that I have been successful to the next step which is the health and asics check with further instructions and dates to be expected. This email was received at the end of August with no further advise up till now.