I think if you're looking for childcare for under 2s, it's best to get in early. I'm not sure about Oz, but in NZ they have higher staff/child ratios for the little ones, so it's harder to get a spot for them.

We started looking around when I was 7 months pregnant, and were told there probably wouldn't be anything available till the baby was 6 months old. I think it also depends on the quality of childcare. The good places have much longer waiting lists, so it pays to get it early.