I concur with Havick. If you miss out on QantasLink and would like to get some valuable jet experience, then come over to the US with an E3 visa. I know of 4 other Aussies in the airline I joined who have done the same. The equipment they have are CRJ 200/700/900 and brand spanking new Embraer E175's. Forget about the turbo-props at Qlink, go for the jet time in the US. And time to command is around 2 to 3 years, possibly quicker if you have previous multi-crew turbine time.
The is a quota on the E3 visa however, which is around 10,000 per year. However, at the moment, only half of that quota is being filled. And again, no degree is required from my own personal experience nor do you need the 12 years industry experience. All you need is a job offer from an airline which supports the E3 visa pathway (I personally know of two), and permission from the Department of Labor in the US which the airline will organise for you.
As for minimum requirements, check with the airlines you wish to join, but generally, it's 1500 TT. And you don't need an FAA license when applying either. When you do the checkride for the type rating (which the airline pays for), that checkride can be used to convert your Australian license to the FAA.