Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998

Statutory Rules 1998 No. 99 as amended

made under the

This compilation was prepared on 21 April 2004
taking into account amendments up to SR 1998 No. 183

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

Part 1                    Preliminary

                        1  Name of Regulations [see Note 1]                                        3

                        2  Commencement                                                                 3

                        3  Definitions                                                                         3

Part 2                    Mail deliveries

                        4  Purpose                                                                            4

                        5  Frequency of delivery                                                          4

                        6  Accuracy and speed of delivery                                           4

Part 3                    Accessibility of services

                        7  Purpose                                                                            7

                        8  Mail lodgment points — articles other than bulk mail             7

                        9  Retail outlets                                                                     7

Notes                                                                                                            9

Part 1                 Preliminary

1              Name of Regulations [see Note 1]

                These Regulations are the Australian Postal (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998.

2              Commencement

                These Regulations commence on 1 July 1998.

Note    It is the intention of the Commonwealth Government that these Regulations be reviewed before 1 July 2001.

3              Definitions

                In these Regulations:

Act means the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989.

bulk mail means a letter lodged with Australia Post for delivery under its bulk mail service, and accepted by Australia Post for delivery under that service.

off-peak mail means a letter lodged with Australia Post for delivery under its off-peak mail service, and accepted by Australia Post for delivery under that service.

Note    The operation of the bulk and off-peak services is set out in The Guide to PreSort Letters issued by Australia Post in December 1995.

Part 2                 Mail deliveries

4              Purpose

                This Part prescribes the performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the frequency, speed and accuracy of mail delivery.

5              Frequency of delivery

         (1)   Australia Post must service:

                (a)    daily (except on a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place where the delivery point is located) — 98% of all delivery points; and

               (b)    at least 2 days each week — 99.7% of all delivery points.

         (2)   For subregulation (1), a delivery point is a mail address that, taking account of accessibility, delivery cost and general volume of mail for the address, it is practicable and reasonable to service frequently.

Examples of delivery points

Street and roadside letter delivery boxes, post office private boxes and locked bags, private and community bags.

         (3)   In this regulation:

service, in relation to a delivery point, means be available to visit the delivery point and, if there is a postal article addressed to the delivery point, deliver the article.

6              Accuracy and speed of delivery

         (1)   This regulation applies to the delivery of letters (reserved services letters) to which subsection 29 (2) of the Act applies, except:

                (a)    letters to which section 30 applies; and

               (b)    letters originating outside Australia; and

                (c)    letters lodged with Australia Post for delivery as bulk mail; and

               (d)    letters lodged with Australia Post for delivery as off‑peak mail.

Note   Subsection 29 (2) of the Act sets out the services reserved to Australia Post. Section 30 of the Act sets out a number of exceptions to the reserved services.

         (2)   Australia Post must deliver at least 94% of all reserved services letters lodged with Australia Post:

                (a)    to the indicated address or, if Australia Post knows that the indicated address is not the appropriate address, to the appropriate address; and

               (b)    within the delivery time mentioned for the address in the following table.

         (3)   Subregulation (2) does not apply to a letter lodged for delivery to a mail address that is not normally serviced as provided by paragraph 5 (1) (a).

         (4)   In this regulation:

day of posting means the period of 24 hours ending, for a mail lodgment point mentioned in regulation 8, at the time notified as the latest time each day for posting at that lodgment point.

Note   Posting boxes bear a notice setting out the daily latest time for posting before clearance of the box.

State includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Part 3                 Accessibility of services

7              Purpose

                This Part prescribes the performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the availability and accessibility of:

                (a)    post-boxes and other mail lodgment points; and

               (b)    offices of Australia Post from which Australia Post products or services may be purchased.

8              Mail lodgment points — articles other than bulk mail

         (1)   Australia Post must maintain the following mail lodgment points in Australia for the lodgment of postal articles other than bulk mail:

                (a)    lodgment facilities at each of its retail outlets; and

               (b)    at least 10,000 street posting boxes.

         (2)   A lodgment facility at a retail outlet may be a street posting box.

         (3)   In this regulation:

retail outlet means an office of the kind mentioned in subregulation 9 (1).

street posting box means a container provided in a public place by Australia Post for the lodgment of standard postal articles for collection and delivery by Australia Post.

9              Retail outlets

         (1)   Australia Post must maintain, in Australia, at least 4,000 offices (retail outlets) at which persons can purchase Australia Post products and services.

         (2)   At any time, there must be located in places that, within the meaning of the areas classification report, are in a rural or remote zone, at least 50% of all retail outlets in operation, and, in any event, not fewer than 2,500 retail outlets.

         (3)   A retail outlet must be so located that:

                (a)    in a metropolitan area (within the meaning of the areas classification report), at least 90% of residences in the area are located within 2.5 kilometres of a retail outlet; and

               (b)    in the area comprising the non-metropolitan zones (within the meaning of the areas classification report), at least 85% of residences in the area are located within 7.5 kilometres of a retail outlet.

         (4)   Compliance with this regulation does not require that a retail outlet be capable of retailing all kinds of Australia Post products and services at all times.

         (5)   In this regulation:

areas classification report means the report titled “Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification 1991 Census Edition” published by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and the Department of Human Services and Health in November 1994.

Notes to the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998

Note 1

The Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 (in force under the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1998 No. 99 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Statutory Rules

Table of Amendments