I think it really does depend on the company you work for. I work for the Ed. Dept of WA and I am on an end dated contract (finishing on 15th Dec). I took maternity leave at 34 weeks and will get paid mat leave till the end of my contract so 6 weeks, if I was on a permenant contract I would have been entitled to 12 weeks paid leave, once mat leave runs out will get vac pay for a further 5 weeks. I am not allowed to apply for job for next untill I intend to return to work, so if I dont want to go back untill 3 rd term I dont put in my application untill just before then.
I guess the best thing to do would be ask, because you dont want to get paid leave and then have to pay it back.