Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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AUSTRALIAN POSTAL CORPORATION (PERFORMANCE STANDARDS) REGULATIONS 1998 1998 NO. 99

Statutory Rules 1998 No. 99

Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts

Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989

Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998

Background

Section 102 of the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 (the Act) provides that the GovernorGeneral may make regulations prescribing matters required or permitted by the Act to be prescribed.

Section 28C of the Act provides for the making of regulations to prescribe performance standards to be met by Australia Post. The performance standards must relate to:

*       the frequency, speed or accuracy of mail delivery; or

*       the availability or accessibility of post-boxes or other mall lodgment points, or offices of Australia Post or other places from which Australia Post products or services may be purchased.

The purpose of the proposed Regulations is to reinforce the importance of Australia Post's universal service obligations, and to provide a legislative mechanism for monitoring and improving performance.

There are to be four separate standards, dealing with: frequency of delivery; accuracy and speed of delivery; mail lodgment points, and retail outlets.

Under the proposed Regulations Australia Post will be required to meet the following standards:

*       Regulation 5 requires Australia Post to service 98% of all postal delivery points at least five days per week, and 99.7% of all postal delivery points at least two days per week.

*       Regulation 6 requires Australia Post to deliver at least 94% of reserved services letters lodged with Australia Post (excluding those listed in Regulation 6(1)), to the indicated or appropriate address according to the delivery timetable in Regulation 6(2)(b). For instance, letters for delivery within the same capital city should be delivered by the next business day after posting.

*       Regulation 8 requires Australia Post to maintain mail lodgment points (for postal articles other than bulk mail) at each of its 4,000 retail outlets. Australia Post must maintain at least 10,000 street posting boxes.

*       Regulation 9 requires Australia Post to make a selection of its products and services available for purchase at each of the retail outlets. At least half of the retail outlets must be located in zones classified as rural or remote in the report titled 'Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification 1991 Census Edition' published by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and the Department of Human Services and Health in November 1994. Further, at least 90% of residences in metropolitan areas must be within 2.5 kilometres of a retail outlet, and an average of at least 85% of residences in rural or remote zones must be within 7.5 kilometres of a retail outlet.

Details of the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 are as follows:

Regulation 1: Name of Regulations

This provision states that the proposed Regulations may be referred to as the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations.

Regulation 2: Commencement

This provision states that the proposed Regulations will commence on 1 July 1998.

Regulation 3: Definitions

This provision defines terms used in the proposed Regulations.

Regulation 4: Purpose

This provision states that the purpose of Part 2 (Mail Deliveries) of the proposed Regulations is to prescribe performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the frequency, speed and accuracy of mail delivery.

Regulation 5: Frequency of delivery

This provision sets out the delivery frequency requirements. Australia Post will be required to service 98% of all delivery points at least 5 days each week, and 99.7% of all delivery points at least 2 days each week.

Regulation 6: Accuracy and speed of delivery

This provision will require Australia Post to deliver at least 94% of reserved services letters lodged with Australia Post to the indicated or appropriate address within the delivery timetable set out in Regulation 6(2)(b). Excluded from the standard are: letters to which section 30 of the Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989 applies; letters originating outside Australia; letters lodged with Australia Post for delivery as bulk mail, and letters lodged with Australia Post for delivery as off-peak mail.

Regulation 7: Purpose

This provision states that the purpose of Part 3 (Accessibility of Services) of the proposed Regulations is to prescribe performance standards to be met by Australia Post in respect of the availability and accessibility of:

(a) post-boxes and other mail lodgment points,- and

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

Regulation 8: Mail lodgment points

This provision outlines Australia Post's obligation to maintain mail lodgment points in Australia. It comprises a requirement to provide mail lodgement points at Australia Post's retail outlets, and at least 10,000 street posting boxes.

Regulation 9: Retail outlets

This provision outlines Australia Post's obligation to maintain 4000 retail outlets from which a selection of Australia Post products and services can be purchased. At least half of these retail outlets must be located in rural and remote zones (as classified in the report titled 'Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas Classification 1991 Census Edition' published by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and the Department of Human Services and Health in November 1994). The retail outlets are to be placed within specified distances from a percentage of households in rural and remote zones, and metropolitan areas.