I can't see why you're getting your knickers all bunched up over it Haughtney,
the oz controllers apply some pretty insanely tight separations as it is - specially with the MEL 27 departures and 16/34 arrivals.
It happens anywhere in the world if you arrive at rush hour at a capacity constrained airport, specially one that has a mix of light turboprops and super-heavies and the occasional medevac etc.
It's just all about how they prefer to present the bad news to you ... the aussies tell you at TOD to cross Arbey with a 10 minute delay, and the brits tell you at TOD to expect 2 laps of the Lambourne hold. Doesnt make a blind bit of difference really except you then have to tell them ok we need a delaying vector. Kind of silly way to do it, but that's aussies for ya