This instrument is the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 2019.

(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provisions	Commencement	Date/Details
1. The whole of this instrument	The day after this instrument is registered.	13 February 2019

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989.

4 Schedules

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

5 Definitions

In this instrument:

Act means the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989.

areas classification means the publication titled “Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification 1991 Census Edition”, prepared by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and the Department of Human Services and Health in November 1994, as existing on the day this instrument commences.

Note: The Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification 1991 Census Edition could in 2019 be viewed on the Productivity Commission’s website (http://www.pc.gov.au).

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.

mail lodgement point means a mail lodgement point maintained for the purposes of section 10.

priority letter means a reserved services letter for which an additional fee is payable for a priority service.

regular letter means a reserved services letter that is not a priority letter.

reserved services letter has the meaning given by subsection 8(1).

retail outlet has the meaning given by subsection 11(1).

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

Part 2—Mail deliveries

6 Purposes of this Part

For the purposes of section 28C of the Act, this Part prescribes performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the frequency, speed and accuracy of mail delivery.

7 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 the purposes of this section, 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.

Note: The following are examples of delivery points:

(a) street and roadside letter delivery boxes;

(b) post office private boxes and locked bags;

(3) For the purposes of this section, to service a delivery point means to be available to visit the delivery point and, if there is a postal article addressed to the delivery point, deliver the article.

8 Accuracy and speed of delivery

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this section applies to the delivery of letters (reserved services letters) covered by subsection 29(2) of the Act.

Note: Subsection 29(2) of the Act sets out services that are reserved services of Australia Post.

(2) This section does not apply to the delivery of the following:

(a) a letter covered by section 30 of the Act;

(b) a letter originating outside Australia;

(d) a letter removed from the normal course of carriage by Australia Post under subsection 90UA(1) or (3) of the Act, unless the letter is returned to the normal course of carriage under subsection 90UB(3) or 90UC(3) of the Act.

Note: Section 30 of the Act sets out exceptions to the reserved services of Australia Post.

(3) This section does not apply to a letter lodged with Australia Post for delivery to an address that is not normally serviced at the frequency mentioned in paragraph 7(1)(a).

(4) Australia Post must deliver at least 94% of all reserved services letters lodged with Australia Post at a mail lodgement point in accordance with subsections (5) and (6).

(5) Australia Post must deliver a reserved services letter to:

(a) the indicated address; or

(b) if Australia Post knows that the indicated address is not the appropriate address—the appropriate address.

(6) Australia Post must deliver a reserved services letter within the delivery time set out in:

(a) if the letter is a priority letter—column 3; or

(b) if the letter is a regular letter—column 4;

of the item in the following table that covers the mail lodgement point at which the letter is lodged and the address to which Australia Post must deliver the letter under subsection (5).

Delivery time for reserved services letters
Item	Column 1 If the mail lodgement point is ...	Column 2 and the delivery address is ...	Column 3 then the delivery time for a priority letter is ...	Column 4 and the delivery time for a regular letter is ...
Part 1—Delivery within a State
1	in the capital city of a State	within that capital city	1 business day after day of posting	3 business days after day of posting
2	in another city, or a town, in a State	within: (a) that city or town; or (b) an adjacent city or town in that State	1 business day after day of posting	3 business days after day of posting
3	in the capital city of a State	in a place within that State other than that capital city	2 business days after day of posting	4 business days after day of posting
4	in another city, or a town, in a State	in a place within that State other than: (a) that city or town; or (b) an adjacent city or town in that State	2 business days after day of posting	4 business days after day of posting
5	in a place in a State other than a place mentioned in column 1 of item 1 or 2 of this table	within that State	2 business days after day of posting	4 business days after day of posting
Part 2—Delivery between States
6	in the capital city of a State	within the capital city of another State	2 business days after day of posting	5 business days after day of posting
7	outside the capital city of a State	within the capital city of another State	3 business days after day of posting	6 business days after day of posting
8	in the capital city of a State	outside the capital city of another State	3 business days after day of posting	6 business days after day of posting
9	outside the capital city of a State	outside the capital city of another State	4 business days after day of posting	7 business days after day of posting

(7) For the purposes of the table in subsection (6), the day of posting for a reserved services letter lodged with Australia Post at a mail lodgement point is:

(a) if the letter is lodged during the period of 24 hours ending at the time notified as the latest time on a day for posting at that mail lodgement point—that day; and

(b) if the letter is removed from the normal course of carriage by Australia Post under subsection 90UA(1) or (3) of the Act and subsequently returned to the normal course of carriage under subsection 90UB(3) or 90UC(3) of the Act—the day on which the letter is returned to the normal course of carriage by Australia Post.

Note: Street posting boxes bear a notice setting out the latest time on a day for posting before clearance of the box.

(8) A reference in the table in subsection (6) to a State includes a reference to the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Part 3—Accessibility of services

9 Purposes of this Part

For the purposes of section 28C of the Act, this Part prescribes performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the availability and accessibility of:

(a) post‑boxes and other mail lodgement points; and

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

10 Mail lodgement points—articles other than bulk mail

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

(a) lodgement facilities at each of its retail outlets;

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

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

11 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) In places that are in a rural or remote zone (within the meaning of the areas classification) there must be, at any time:

(a) at least 50% of all retail outlets in operation; and

(b) no fewer than 2,500 retail outlets.

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

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

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

(4) To avoid doubt, this section does not require a retail outlet to be capable of retailing all kinds of Australia Post products and services at all times.