Looking at the ALS Geochemistry web site at Orange, I found a...

Looking at the ALS Geochemistry web site at Orange, I found a download of their services and fees.
They provide a mobile app that companies using their service can use to track the progress of their jobs, which would seem to indicate that our miners have a degree of insight into when results are due.
They also provide a schedule of fees - ranging from accepting core, to per metre rates for sawing core (different charges for friable versus hard core), and a host of other charge components - including secure storage fees of $100 per day.

It does seem that the delays from the lab are becoming pretty extreme, but I am not sure whether anything can be done about it.
(Insert glum face look here).