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Parcel businesses are pushing hard for access to Australia Post’s infrastructure network, including its post office boxes and parcel lockers, as the federal government mulls over the long-term sustainability of the postal carrier.
With a government review under way, a host of private parcel delivery operators including Sendle, Team Global Express and CouriersPlease argue that Australia Post should allow third-party delivery companies to use its networks to help get parcels to consumers faster.
Sendle expanded into the US in 2019 and has recently launched into the Canadian market.Credit: Sendle
The operators say by opening up its networks, Australia Post could not only improve the delivery experience for consumers but also add to the revenue it generates through parcel delivery. In February, Australia Post said its letters business had lost $189.7 million in the first half of 2023.
In a submission on the government’s Postal Services Modernisation discussion paper, small business-focused parcels start-up Sendle wants Australia Post to open up its PO box network to all courier businesses, giving them the freedom to make deliveries to post office boxes.
It is also advocating for more partnerships between Australia Post and other parcel businesses, including the possibility of “work-sharing” models, where private-sector partners take on some functions of the postal service, like collecting and sorting mail.
“I think in the long run, all of these ideas are good for competition, senders and receivers, and good for [Australia] Post,” Sendle founder and chief executive James Chin Moody said.
Christine Holgate is the chief executive of Team Express Global, formerly Toll Express Global. Credit: Arsineh Houspian
Meanwhile, the former boss of Australia Post, Christine Holgate, is also pushing the organisation to increase access to its networks, particularly in rural and regional areas.
Holgate is now chief executive of logistics business Team Global Express (formerly known as Toll) and believes allowing third-party providers to deliver to regional post offices would make life easier for consumers in remote locations. The move would also create important revenue streams for Australia Post and community post offices, which are often owned by mum-and-dad operators.