ePCT national phase removes the need to use an Australian firm...

ePCT national phase removes the need to use an Australian firm to do the filing.  It will removes the most profitable part of a patent attorney practice.  

The effect may be like the impact on Slater and Gordon when the UK proposed changes to the personal injury law capping payouts in 2017, an immediate share price fall of over 50%.
http://www.fool.com.au/2015/11/26/whiplashed-slater-gordon-limited-share-price-tanks-on-uk-outlook/

We can only speculate when ePCT national phase will occur. It will happen due to government and industry interests.

It was proposed before April 2013.   WIPO document ePCT-NPE-detail-2013-04 discussed the proposal in some detail.

A pilot program was to commence at the end of 2015.  WIPO document PCT/WG/9/24 of 3 May 2016 states there is a working ePCT national phase system.

http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/pct/en/pct_wg_9/pct_wg_9_24.pdf

The document provides screenshots and states at 8. “Some minor changes will be made before the demonstration system is released to the public...”   Apparently anyone with an ePCT account will be able to try the system in the demonstration environment.  At 21 WIPO plans to make any necessary changes to the system and deploy it to the live environment.

The previous ePCT international phase system spent approx. 6 months in a demonstration environment before general access.

May 2016 + 6 months = Nov 2016