Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 (Amendment) 1998 No. 183
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Statutory rules 1998 No. 183
Minute No. 16 of 1998 Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts
Subject: Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989
Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 (Amendment)
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 mail lodgment points, or offices of Australia Post or other places from which Australia Post products or services may be purchased.
The purpose of the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 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.
The Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998, which were approved on 20 May 1998, commence on 1 July 1998.
Under Regulation 9 of the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998, Australia Post is required 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.
The purpose of this proposed Regulation is to amend Regulation 9 to ensure that a minimum of 2500 retail outlets are 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.
Details of the proposed Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 (Amendment) are set out in the Attachment.
The proposed Regulations will commence on 1 July 1998.
The minute recommends that the Regulations be made in the form proposed.
Authority: Section 102 of the Australian
Postal Corporation Act 1989
ATTACHMENT
Regulation 1: Commencement
This provision states that the proposed Regulations will commence on 1 July 1998.
Regulation 2: Amendment
This provision states that the proposed regulations amend the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998.
Regulation 3: (Commencement)
This provision inserts a proposed note in regulation 2 of the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Regulations 1998 which states that it is the intention of the Commonwealth Government to review the regulations before 1 July 2001.
Regulation 4: Retail Outlets
This provision omits subregulation 9(2) and replaces it with a proposed regulation which prescribes that the minimum number of outlets in rural or remote zones must be not fewer than 2,500 retail outlets and at least 50% of all retail outlets in operation.