Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1968

Post and Telegraph Rates

No. 68 of 1968

An Act relating to Postal Charges.

[Assented to 27 September 1968]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1968.

(2.) The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1967 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1968.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of October, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight.

3. Section 6 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its’ stead:—

Rates of postage.

“6. Subject to the next two succeeding sections, the rates of postage are the rates set out in Part I. of the First Schedule to this Act.”.

Articles addressed to “The Householder”.

4. Section 6a of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting in paragraph (a) of sub-section (1.), after the word “in”, the words “Part I. of”; and

(b) by omitting sub-sections (2.) and (3.) and inserting in their stead the following sub-sections:—

“(2.) The postage payable in respect of articles to which this section applies shall be prepaid in cash and is—

(a) in the case of each article for delivery within the city area in which it is posted—at the rate of Two cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces; and

(b) in any other case—at the rate of Three cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces.

“(3.) In the last preceding sub-section, ‘city area’ means an area determined by the Postmaster-General to be a city area for the purposes of this section.”.

Reduced rates for bulk postage.

5. Section 6b of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-sections (1.), (2.) and (3.) and inserting in their stead the following sub-sections:—

“(1.) This section applies to such articles as are specified in Part II. of the First Schedule to this Act, not being articles referred to in the last preceding section, that comply with, and are posted in accordance with, conditions determined by the Postmaster-General relating to—

(a) the manner of packing, addressing and marking the articles;

(b) the manner and place of posting the articles; and

(c) the arrangement of the articles so as to facilitate their sorting,

where the number of those articles posted by any one person during a period determined by the Postmaster-General is—

(d) in the case of articles to which item 1 or item 3 in that Part applies—more than two thousand five hundred; and

(e) in the case of articles to which item 2 in that Part applies—more than five hundred.

“(2.) Subject to the next two succeeding sub-sections, the rates of postage payable in respect of articles to which this section applies are the rates set out in Part II. of the First Schedule to this Act.

“(3.) Where—

(a) a person proposes to post more than one hundred thousand articles within the period determined by the Postmaster-General under sub-section (1.) of this section; and

(b) the articles are articles to which item 1 or item 3 in Part II. of the First Schedule to this Act applies,

the Postmaster-General may enter into an agreement with that person under which—

(c) if the articles comply with, and are posted in accordance with, the conditions determined by the Postmaster-General under subsection (1.) of this section; and

(d) if the person complies with such other conditions (if any) as are set out in the agreement relating to the manner and place of posting the articles and the arrangement of the articles so as to facilitate their sorting and delivery,

the rates of postage payable in respect of the articles shall be such rates as are provided in the agreement, not being lower than the rates set out in Part III. of the First Schedule to this Act.”.

First Schedule.

6.—(1.) The First Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words—

“Rates of Postage.”

and inserting in their stead the words—

“Part I.—Ordinary Rates of Postage.”.

(2.) The First Schedule to the Principal Act is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following Parts:—

“Part II—Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards each of which weighs not more than sixteen ounces—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

2. Books registered at a General Post Office, subject to compliance with the regulations—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

3. Articles each of which weighs not more than sixteen ounces that are not parcels or articles to which item 1 or 2 of this Part applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

“Part III.—Minimum Agreed Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards each of which weighs not more than sixteen ounces—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

2. Other articles to which sub-section (3.) of section 6b of this Act applies each of which weighs not more than sixteen ounces—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—