Australia Post's delivery warnings, as CEO declares 'fight of our lives'
SBS News
β’Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:35:37 +0000
π° What Happened
Australia Post CEO Paul Graham warned that the cost of sending a letter could eventually rise to $2 and that delivery frequency could be cut further as mail volumes collapse. He told SBS News letter volumes fell 15% last year and are at levels not seen since the 1930s, placing the company 'in the fight of our lives' as parcel competition squeezes margins. He ruled out ending home delivery, keeping community mailboxes off the table for Australian suburbs and towns.
π The Backstory
Australia Post has already reduced letter deliveries to every second day and raised the standard stamp price, while delivering more than 1.4 billion letters last financial year. It operates more than 4,000 outlets, about 2,500 of them in regional and remote areas, and is recasting itself around parcels, its growth business.
π― Why It Matters
Australia Post is a community service as much as a business, and delivery changes hit regional areas, small businesses and elderly Australians hardest. The trajectory of letter prices will also feed the cost-of-living debate as the postal service navigates structural decline.
Australia Post CEO Paul Graham warned that the cost of sending a letter could eventually rise to $2 and that delivery frequency could be cut further as mail volumes collapse. He told SBS News letter volumes fell 15% last year and are at levels not seen since the 1930s, placing the company 'in the fight of our lives' as parcel competition squeezes margins. He ruled out ending home delivery, keeping community mailboxes off the table for Australian suburbs and towns.
Australia Post has already reduced letter deliveries to every second day and raised the standard stamp price, while delivering more than 1.4 billion letters last financial year. It operates more than 4,000 outlets, about 2,500 of them in regional and remote areas, and is recasting itself around parcels, its growth business.
Australia Post is a community service as much as a business, and delivery changes hit regional areas, small businesses and elderly Australians hardest. The trajectory of letter prices will also feed the cost-of-living debate as the postal service navigates structural decline.