True. Using the now-required central visa agent in Australia will probably be more expensive vs Macau. But that seems to be a false dichotomy. Generally, people who need a Chinese visa and can make it as far as Macau, tend to have a choice between Macau and Hong Kong--in which case HK is normally easier and quicker, even with use of a 3rd party agent.

If this poster's choice is between these territories and Australia, however, one factor to consider is quality of visa--sometimes applicants in the home country can get better terms (longer overall, longer duration, more entries) than elsewhere. Which depending on one's plans, can save money in the long run.