He tells me that all Australian applications must go through Aus Consulate in Shanghai and that the processing time currently is from 4 to 6 months.
This is from the Australian Embassy in China Website:
Where to Apply
Applicants living in the following provinces should apply at the Australian Consulate General in Shanghai:
• Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet.
Applicants living in the following provinces should apply at the Australian Consulate General in Guangzhou:
• Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hainan.
I have sent them an email to confirm this. I do not doubt your friend but if I can save a trip to Shanghai then this will be a better way to go and make it easier for Xia to go to appointments with the consulate etc.