MEDIA RELEASE - TRANSPARENCY NEEDED ON AUSTRALIA POST PARCEL PRICING FOR REGIONAL BUSINESSES - 25 AUGUST 2020
25 August 2020
MICHELLE ROWLAND MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS MEMBER FOR GREENWAY
TRANSPARENCY NEEDED ON AUSTRALIA POST PARCEL PRICING FOR REGIONAL BUSINESSES
The Government must buck its long-standing resistance to transparency and accountability by demanding Australia Post releases transparent pricing data, ensuring regional businesses are not being unfairly targeted with price hikes for their parcels.
According to the ABC, Australia Post has been forced to review its regional pricing after sustained complaints by regional business owners.
A split has emerged within the Government, with the Deputy Nationals Leader reportedly unhappy with Australia Post regional parcel pricing structures.
As noted in the ABC article:
Mr Littleproud accused Australia Post of being "tricky" with its use of "corporate jargon… They have now subsequently had to admit that not only were they doing this individual over, but they've been doing regional Australia over," he said
"Australia Post [have now] admitted that they had increased the costs around 32 per cent for regional Australians and around 13.5 per cent for metropolitan Australians.
If these statements are shown to be accurate, that would at odds with reporting in September 2019 that:
“Australia Post has unveiled major enhancements of its parcel products that will deliver big savings for customers in rural and regional Australia.”
When questioned by the ABC, Australia Post said:
“Over many years complexity has built up across customers that creates anomalies against our strategic intent of supporting all Australians".
What does this mean — have prices gone up in real terms, or down?
In the interests of establishing the facts, and ensuring regional businesses are not being unfairly targeted with price hikes for their parcels, it’s critical that transparent pricing data is released.
