You could add a medium super between the Flow Hive and the QX which the bees will build out to give the bees more supplies for winter. Ignore any stories you hear about bees not taking honey thru a QX, that story is false. Honey, or nectar to be precise, is taken up thru the QX and stored in the super then as needed it is taken down to the brood frames to feed the brood, whether there is a QX fitted or not.
Australia has a huge range of climates so different demand for the bee keeper to maintain the hives in peak efficiency. Years ago in a much colder climate I ran 10 frame double brood hives with a super totally full of honey frames for winter stores for the bees and then sometimes had to feed them some extra if it was a longer than normal Winter. I’m now in a sub-tropical climate and 8 frame single brood boxes is the ‘normal’ here and some reserve frames of honey is left on the hive but extracting can be every month of the year.
If you have a Winter dearth then add a medium for stores for the bees over Winter and leave the QX on permanently.
Your not making a mistake and good on you for asking for advice so you don’t.
Your local bee group can be used for your local conditions and you will get good advice there as well.
Cheers
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