Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

Last Friday I attended an Australia Post public listening session held at the Ingle Farm post office, where Australia Post representatives spoke with customers about proposed changes to mail delivery and postage fees. Being familiar with the Ingle Farm post office, I was not surprised by the constant stream of customers who used the range of services available.

Australia Post is proposing a two-speed mail delivery service, with overnight mail deliveries charged at a higher rate than standard postage rates—for which delivery times will be slower. Many of the people that I spoke with, particularly older people, have not embraced the internet and still rely on mail services. I also noted comments that some people no longer use Australia Post parcel delivery services because they are more expensive than other parcel delivery services available.

Australia Post's application to increase postage costs is currently before the ACCC. If Australia Post's justification for change is that postage rates are falling, then increasing the postage cost by 42 per cent from 70 cents to $1.00 is surely going to lead to less mail being posted. Logic would suggest that reducing the price of postage would be a smarter option. Perhaps if Australia Post wants to trim costs it might begin by looking at the excessive executive salaries currently being paid rather than putting at risk the jobs of more Australia Post workers, who will inevitably lose their jobs if higher postage prices cause a further decline in the services used.

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