Please visit the Australia Post site for further information.
14 September 2021
Australia Post Update - COVID-19 is having a higher than usual impact
Extended lockdowns across our most populous states mean record numbers of people are shopping online. This has caused an unprecedented surge in parcel deliveries.
We’ve been affected by temporary facility closures and on any given day have around 500 of our people in precautionary self-isolation in accordance with state regulations.
Fewer passenger flights mean we have less air freight capacity. Many domestic and international routes are currently suspended, and the remaining routes have much lower frequencies.
Domestic impacts
Post Offices remain open and we’re still delivering.
Deliveries are continuing as usual (including on weekends in some areas) and our Post Offices remain open.
Parcel Post collections from eCommerce merchants have resumed as normal, following a temporary pause in NSW, VIC and ACT.
Delivery delays may be experienced
Some areas are affected more than others due to local COVID-19 impacts.
For a complete list of issues affecting our domestic services, please see our domestic updates.
Health and safety
We’re doing our bit to keep the community safe and prevent the virus from spreading – and this has meant changing how we do things. Social distancing within our processing facilities means we can’t always move items as quickly as we would like to.
6 January 2021
Australia Post Update - Current Delivery Times
Many routes are experiencing only minor delays, while others are taking longer.
The below delivery times are based on Australia Post's recent delivery performance.
1 December 2020
Australia Post Update - Current Delivery Times
Many routes are experiencing only minor delays, while others are taking longer.
The below delivery times are based on our recent delivery performance. Use this info to estimate how long your item may take to arrive.
2 October 2020
Australia Post Update - Current Delivery Delays
Our business is adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic, which means our normal practice of delivery has been impacted. As a result, we’re experiencing substantial delays in our network.
These delays are due to:
- a reduction in air freight capacity and passenger flights (which also carry our parcels)
- a significant increase in parcels volumes, many of which require manual sorting
- health and safety requirements in our network (such as social distancing through zoning, and dedicated shift start times to reduce cross-over of workers)
We know these delays are frustrating, and we’re doing everything we can to keep delivering as safely and quickly as possible.
Victoria destined parcels
With the massive demand and current workforce capacity constraints in Victoria, we foresee an additional 3-day delay for all deliveries in Victoria.
Express Post delays
Our Express Post service is seeing significant delays in delivery. This means that while we continue to prioritise Express Post, and most parcels shipped via this service arrive on time, some could take 5 business days or more to reach their destination.
Tracking tool
Our tracking tool provides you with the most accurate guidance on estimated delivery dates and advises you of any delays while your parcel is in transit.
11 September 2020
Australia Post Update - Current Delivery Delays
Our business is adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic, which means our normal practice of delivery has been impacted. As a result, we’re experiencing substantial delays in our network.
These delays are due to:
- a reduction in air freight capacity and passenger flights (which also carry our parcels)
- a significant increase in parcels volumes, many of which require manual sorting
- health and safety requirements in our network (such as social distancing through zoning, and dedicated shift start times to reduce cross-over of workers)
We know these delays are frustrating, and we’re doing everything we can to keep delivering as safely and quickly as possible.
Rural and regional delays
Unfortunately, services to rural and regional areas are experiencing particularly long delays, and the following timeframes are expected:
• Express Post: 1-5 business days or more
• Parcel Post: 3-10 business days or more
Victoria destined parcels
With the massive demand and current workforce capacity constraints in Victoria, we foresee an additional 3-day delay for all deliveries in Victoria.
Express Post delays
Our Express Post service is seeing significant delays in delivery. This means that while we continue to prioritise Express Post, and most parcels shipped via this service arrive on time, some could take 5 business days or more to reach their destination.
Tracking Tool
Our tracking tool provides you with the most accurate guidance on estimated delivery dates and advises you of any delays while your parcel is in transit.
27 August 2020
Australia Post Update - Victorian Delivery Delays
Over the last three weeks, Australia Post has experienced a significant increase in demand as Victorians have increased their online buying due to stage 4 lockdowns. So much so, that our parcel volumes in Victoria for August are up approximately 150% year-on-year compared to the national average of 90%. At the same time, our business has been required to make additional adjustments in our processing and deliveries workforce to comply with the State Government's COVID safe restrictions.
Victoria destined Parcels
With the massive demand and workforce capacity constraints, we foresee an additional 3 day delay for deliveries in Victoria. This is both within and into Victoria. We appreciate the implications of these decisions and want to assure you we are doing our very best within these extremely challenging times. I'm sure you can appreciate we cannot compromise the safety of our people and I appreciate your ongoing support as we work through this together.
19 June 2020
Australia Post Delivery Delays Update
With our business adapting to the challenges the current pandemic presents, our normal practice of delivery has been impacted. There are delivery delays in our network due to:
- reduction in air freight capacity and passenger flights (which also carry our parcels)
- a significant increase in parcels volumes, many which require manual sorting
- hygiene and social distancing requirements in our network (such as social distancing through zoning, dedicated shift start times to reduce cross over of workers)
Our tracking tool provides you with the most accurate guidance on estimated delivery dates and advises you of any delays while your parcel is in transit.
21 April 2020
Regulatory Relief
As Australians adapt to living under COVID-19 restrictions, Australia Post has been optimising our business to manage the significant disruption and unprecedented parcel volumes being sent across the country.
The Federal Government today announced temporary changes to delivery standards for our business to continue to service the broader needs of the community as quickly as possible.
The temporary relief includes:
- removing the Priority Mail letter product
- adjusting the existing service standards on other letters, meaning Australia Post will deliver letters in metropolitan areas every second day
- extending the required delivery time for regular intrastate letters to five days after the day of posting
Delivery frequency in regional, rural and remote Australia will not change, in recognition that Australia Post is often the only operator in these areas.
Post Offices will also continue to remain open, in-line with health and safety guidelines to protect our people and customers.
14 April 2020
Australia Post Domestic Update
There are delivery delays in our network due to:
- reduction in air freight capacity and passenger flights (which also carry our parcels)
- a significant increase in parcels that require manual sorting
- health & safety measures at our facilities (such as social distancing through zoning, dedicated shift start times to reduce cross over of workers)
These delays can be up to a few days, particularly to regional and rural communities, and mean that:
- Priority Mail services may be suspended
- the delivery time for Perth and Brisbane may increase by up to five days
- the delivery time for North Queensland may increase by up to seven days
- the delivery times for Tasmania may increase by three days
- Next Day Express Post Services into regional and rural communities may not be able to be maintained
What we're doing
- moving more parcels through our road network (to accommodate domestic flight restrictions)
- exploring all available transport alternatives and options, and working with the Australian Government, to minimise impacts for customers
In some cases, we're having to process and deliver from an alternate location and customers may notice when tracking their parcel, that it is coming from a different location to what they are used to.
6 April 2020
Atomic Cherry Same Day Despatch Time Change
Our same day despatch cut off time is now 1 pm AEST
