Some deliveries to take up to week in Australia Post shakeup

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Some letter deliveries to take up to week in Australia Post shake-up

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SOME letters will take more than a week to be delivered with Australia Post’s planned new slow service.

Regular mail will not only cost more but take two days longer to arrive under a shake-up expected to be introduced from September.

This means letters posted between rural Victoria and rural areas interstate, such as Bendigo to Cairns, will take six business days.

POST TO GO SLOWER, BUT COST MORE

Between metropolitan Melbourne and interstate country areas, such as Belgrave to Newcastle, it stretches to five business days.

Australia Post spokesman Jeff Mollet said 90 per cent of regular mail would be delivered within three to four business days.

“On current mail volumes, only 1 per cent of mail will be delivered to the six-business-day timetable,” he said.

The Federal Government has backed bringing in a two-speed “regular” and “priority” service, like that already used for business and government mail, to stem massive financial losses in the letters business.

Australia Post last week indicated it would seek permission from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to lift the basic stamp price from 70c to $1 for “regular” mail. The 60c concession price will remain.

Consumers wanting to avoid the slower service will have to pay even more for a “priority” stamp, which is expected to initially cost about $1.50.

A Herald Sun review of mail schedules shows proposed “regular” delivery between capital cities; between Melbourne and country Victoria; and between rural locations such as Bendigo to Ararat, will extend to within four business days.

Letters posted within metropolitan areas, such as Carnegie to Essendon, will arrive within three business days.

Communication Workers Union state secretary Joan Doyle accused Australia Post of orchestrating a crisis to unfairly slug consumers.

“We will fight to try to get the two-speed changes blocked,” Ms Doyle said.

But Australia Post insists reform is essential to keep the business viable, to preserve post offices and to avoid a huge taxpayer bailout.

[POSTMAN]

Australia Post will be allowed to introduce a new two-tier letters delivery system in order to counter the financial impact of the ongoing decline in volumes, the Australian government said last week.

The changes could be introduced as early as this September...

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