Australia Post: With parcel volumes at Christmas levels, our network continues to be under increased pressure

Due to the ongoing impacts of COVID together with record volumes through the network, Australia Post is temporarily pausing pickups, collections and business lodgements for e-commerce retailers in Greater Melbourne Metro only for five days, from 12.01am Friday 1 October to 12.01am Wednesday 6 October.

The company says: “With parcel volumes at Christmas levels, our network continues to be under increased pressure, and is amplified in Victoria where we continue to manage a heavily reduced workforce due to the impact of the Delta strain.

The temporary pause will help manage the record volumes being experienced in the network and importantly return them to a level that is safe and manageable for our people.

The safety of our people is our highest priority, one which we will not compromise on.

The impact is on our standard Parcel Post and eParcel Service for Greater Melbourne Metro only.

Our Express Post, Startrack Premium, Startrack Courier, Startrack Express and letters services will remain unchanged across our network.

Post Offices will remain open for all usual business including collecting carded parcels and lodgement of parcels.

Items lodged at Street Posting Boxes will also continue to be collected for processing and collections in all other States remain the same.

Deliveries will continue including on weekends and parcel processing continues, as our people deliver record amounts of parcels to Australians.

Australia Post currently has more than 200 people in Melbourne in necessary self-isolation, placing increased pressure on our network, while we also manage flight restrictions, temporary facility closures, and parcel volumes as high as our Christmas peak period.

We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience.”