Peak and flood update

As we get ready for our busiest period of the year, we’re all focused on delivering for our customers and community this Peak season. Like many businesses, we continue to manage the impacts of extreme weather events as we’re currently experiencing, labour shortages and global supply chain pressures.  

Flood update 

My heartfelt thoughts are with our team members and customers in Victoria and in some parts of New South Wales and Tasmania who continue to face extreme weather and widespread flooding in their local communities. The safety of our team members is our highest priority. Our teams are continually assessing flood impacts and we’re making every effort to deliver and collect for our customers where it’s safe to do so.  

I know this will be a very stressful time. Please remember there is support available to you through our Employee/Workforce Assistance Program. You and your family can access free and confidential counselling services through our independent counselling service Converge International by calling 1300 687 327.  

We’re regularly updating information about delivery delays for items coming in and out of the worst-affected regions on our website, and as you can appreciate things can change quickly. Tracked items are being scanned and will be delivered as quickly as possible. Express Post and StarTrack Premium items are also being prioritised wherever possible. We’re also providing up to 12 months free mail redirection to customers impacted by the floods. We’ll continue to provide updates on how we’re supporting our team and managing the situation as it unfolds.  

Improvements for Peak 

With some of the biggest online shopping events just around the corner, I wanted to let you know about some of the ways we are preparing for a successful Peak for our business and customers. In preparation for this year’s Peak period, we've been increasing our capacity and improving our services throughout the year to ensure as little disruption as possible for our customers. 

  • Investing in our facilities – we’re increasing our total parcel processing capability by 2.5 million parcels a week this year with the help of new facilities, new delivery centres and network improvements in existing facilities. 
  • Investing in our fleet – we’ve added 283 Electric Delivery Vehicles to our fleet, with an extra 500 arriving before Christmas, helping us deliver an additional 3.1 million parcels each year​. We also have more than 200 vans, trucks and trailers on hire to support increased capacity.   
  • Investing in our operations – we’ve purchased an additional 100,000 ULDs to create a smoother lodgement process.  
  • Investing in our air capacity – over the peak period, we'll operate six additional freighter aircraft to support increased demand for our express services. These freighters will provide an additional 280 tonnes per night to uplift over 3 million express parcels each week. We'll also have access to 7,530 passenger flights per week - tripling our capacity compared to last year. 
  • Investing in our delivery experience – we are extending our two-hour delivery window notifications, our Post Offices will be offering extended trading hours in select locations and we are re-introducing weekend deliveries later this year.   
Christmas sending dates 

Soon we’ll be sharing our recommended domestic last sending dates so our customers have the best chance of receiving their items by Christmas. Our recommended international sending dates for each location are already available at auspost.com.au/sending/christmas-sending-dates. 

We’ll be delivering right up to Christmas, including Christmas Eve, however we’re recommending customers send as early as possible. For both domestic and international, items sent after these dates will be delivered as quickly as possible, but they may not arrive until after Christmas.   

How you can help 

To deliver a successful peak for our customers and community, here are three ways you can help:

1. Support the flood recovery efforts

If you would like to support flood-affected communities and individuals, you can make a donation to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Response and Recovery Fund through our Australia Post Workplace Giving Program. 

2. Share our seasonal casuals positions with your network

We’ve already hired thousands of new permanent and casual team members across deliveries, processing and customer support to help us keep processing and delivering throughout the busy festive season. We’re still on the look out for forklift and truck drivers, so if you know anyone suitable please encourage them to apply now. 

3. Register your interest to join our One Team volunteering efforts 

Registrations are now open for support office team members to join our frontline teammates at our operational facilities and retail outlets this peak period as part of our One Team program. Register your interest now.  

 

Thank you for continuing to look after yourselves and each other as we work together to navigate the next few months. We have a big job ahead of us, and as a team I know we’re ready for it. 

Be safe, be kind 

Paul 

Australia Post acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we operate, live and gather as a team. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.