Max,
I'd suggest that you should need an ATPL(H) for a decent job here: the CPL(H) would not get you a command job in any of the companies suggested so far.
But with the right credentials and an approach to the right people you could finish up having a good, well paid job touring. If, however, you want a local job and home every evening then the choices will be slim and the pay not so good. Moorabin would be your nearest gig, and there you would have Professional Helicopters (mostly training), HeliServ (air work/charter) and Microflite (aerial work/charter). Microflite have a lot of new machines and appear well marketed for work these days, HeliServ have a lot of nice blokes to work with as do PHS.
Essendon is not so busy for helicopters these days, but there are always opportunities popping up as entrepreneurial types have a go at the industry
Re the managerial option: generally a case of right place at the right time. And with the current proposed Carbon Tax only 2 months away I suspect that we will see an enormous cutting back of spending in Australia, with associated reductions in hiring
