OK, things have changed!
I sent off an email requesting an interim card and received this response -
For Australian citizens: from 1 March 2021 onwards Australia will issue the
Virtual ABTC (VABTC) a digital version of the card accessible through a cardholder’s smart device. Physical cards will no longer be issued after this date.
Australian ABTC holders will be able to use the VABTC in place of any physical card they were previously issued. A physical card issued before 1 March 2021 can still be used until it expires, even if the holder has downloaded and registered their VABTC.
Australian citizens
- who have a physical card issued before 1 March 2021
or
- who have received initial ‘AUS’ approval and are waiting for other economy pre-clearances
are now able to log into the VABTC. The log in process requires your
Application ID in addition to other personal details – your Application ID was provided on confirmation of your card application and is different from your ABTC card number. Please check the original acknowledgement email. If you applied online through ImmiAccount you can also log into ImmiAccount to find your Application ID.
(We understand that the Virtual ABTC is currently geo-blocked
outside APEC economies on the relevant App Stores.)
So, I did all that and now have my new (interim) card on my phone
Simples!