Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

email just received for your information:
Temporary suspension of Parcel Post collections in NSW, ACT & VIC
Temporary suspension of Parcel Post collections in NSW, ACT & VIC
As you know, across the country we are all managing the sustained challenges of the COVID pandemic. With two of our largest States and some 15 million people in lockdown, the fluctuations in customer online shopping have significantly increased.
We are also dealing with the impacts of the Delta strain and in any given day, we have close to 500 people out of our workforce as they follow necessary self-isolation and testing before clearance back to work.
This is putting increased pressure on our network like nothing we have experienced before, as we manage staff shortages, temporary facility closures, and parcel volumes as high as Christmas peak period.
To help us clear excess parcel volumes in NSW, ACT and VIC due to these impacts, we will be suspending customer collections in these areas.
All Parcel Post collections from customers and merchants in NSW, ACT and VIC will be paused from 7am Saturday 4 September until 7am Tuesday 7 September.
The safety of our people is our highest priority and this temporary measure will allow us to responsibly clear record volumes in parts of our network.
Our team will be processing all weekend to reduce these volumes to a safe and manageable level and help free up capacity with ULDs and pallets.
Services provided for Express Post, Premium and Startrack Express remain unchanged across our network. Lodgements at Post Offices and SPB's will also continue to be collected and collections in all other States remain the same.
Normal medical shipments (normally lodged Parcel Post) will still be accepted subject to confirmation and by arrangement.
We're sorry for the inconvenience
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this may place on you and your customers. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate these challenges together.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any queries via your Account Manager and continue to check auspost.com.au/service-updates for the latest information on impacts across our network.
Stay safe,
Gary Starr
Executive General Manager
Business, Government & International

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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Does this mean we can't drop off or pick up standard post parcels between these dates from the post office but anything express is ok?

Message 2 of 9
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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Express Post remains the same as usual.

 

It is regular parcels which can't be posted between Saturday morning 7am and 7am Tuesday.

 

Services should be back to normal (hopefully) by the time the post offices open at 9am Tuesday.

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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

We take it to mean that sellers who have larger accounts with daily Post Collections from their warehouses will be affected. It would also mean longer delays to send them out to the average customer. Post Offices are still receiving items lodged however there will be significant delays between collections and deliveries. We trust eBay will make note of this and change their estimated delivery times. 

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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Thank you for clearing this up.

 

I don't sell large amounts but I may post tomorrow and Friday if needed, then just wait until Tuesday for anything else. I will be within my handling times which is a good thing.

 

Like you, I hope eBay extends the delivery times.

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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Yes, I also think that lodgement at the post office for parcel post is ok. It says collections won't be happening, which is usually the bigger bulk sellers that AP comes to your premises and picks up. I could be wrong though.

 

In the last 2 weeks I have had a SYD to SYD parcel post take 10 days. I also had a SYD to SYD Express Post take 2 days. The VIC and QLD parcel receivers were getting their Express Post faster than the Sydney deliveries. 

 

It's just the way things are, they just can't find hundreds of trained staff in a flash when people are off isolating. I hope it all ends soon.

 

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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

Message 8 of 9
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Australia Post is buckling under the pressure.

They are really struggling with their network, and with their stores. Ordinarily, AP moves staff around between stores based on demand and staff absences. The problem is that not only are there increased absences due to staff being in quarantine/isolation, but nobody is allowed to move between stores because that also creates a transmission risk. Friend was moved to a quieter store before the lockdown, and her normal store is severely understaffed but she isn't permitted to go back there. Big yikes, and I expect further disruptions leading into Christmas.

 

 

 

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