Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1970

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Post and Telegraph Rates

No. 62 of 1970

An Act to amend the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1968.

[Assented to 1 October 1970]

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 1970.

(2.) The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1968 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 1902-1970.

Commencement.

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

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 Section 6 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Rates of postage.

“6.—(1.) Subject to the next two succeeding sections, the rates of postage for postal articles other than parcels are the rates set out in Part I. of the First Schedule to this Act.

“(2.) The postage payable in respect of articles to which item 2 in Part I. of the First Schedule to this Act applies shall, except where otherwise provided by agreement between the Postmaster-General and the person posting the articles, be prepaid in money.

“(3.) For the purposes of item 2 in Part I. of the First Schedule to this Act, ‘local delivery’, in relation to a postal article, means delivery—

(a) from the office at which the article is posted; or

(b) where the article is posted within an area for the time being determined by the Postmaster-General, for the purposes of this sub-section, to be a local delivery area—within that area.”.

Articles addressed to “The Householder”.

4. Section 6a of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “shall be prepaid in cash” and inserting in their stead the words “shall, except where otherwise provided by agreement between the Postmaster-General and the person posting the articles, be prepaid in money”.

Reduced rates for bulk postage.

5. Section 6b of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-section (5.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—

“(5.) The postage payable in respect of articles under this section shall, except where otherwise provided by agreement between the Postmaster-General and the person posting the articles, be prepaid in money.”.

First Schedule.

6. The First Schedule to the Principal Act is repealed and the following Schedule inserted in its stead:—

“FIRST SCHEDULE. Sections 6 and 6b.

Part I.—Ordinary Rates of Postage.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of letter, lettercard or postcard	Rate of postage, in cents
Not more than 1 ounce....................................	6
More than 1 ounce but not more than 2 ounces....................	12
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces....................	18
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces....................	24
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces...................	30

First Schedule—continued

2. Newspapers and periodicals registered at a General Post Office, where the articles are posted—

(a) by the proprietors thereof to bona fide subscribers, and to newsvendors and agents for the purpose of sale; and

(b) by newsvendors and agents to bona fide subscribers, and to other newsvendors and agents for the purpose of sale,

subject to such conditions, if any, not being conditions that are inconsistent with the regulations, as are determined by the Postmaster-General, relating to—

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

and to compliance with the regulations—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Category ‘A’ registered newspapers and periodicals	An amount calculated, in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time, at the rate of— (a) One cent for each article; or (b) Six cents for each twelve ounces or part of twelve ounces of the aggregate weight of the articles, whichever is the greater
Category ‘B’ registered newspapers and periodicals posted for local delivery	An amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the rate of— (a) One and one-half cents for the first two ounces or part of two ounces; and (b) One-half of a cent for each additional ounce or part of an ounce, but where the amount of postage payable in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent
Category ‘B’ registered newspapers and periodicals posted otherwise than for local delivery	An amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the following rates:— (a) where the weight of the article does not exceed two ounces—Two cents; (b) where the weight of the article exceeds two ounces but does not exceed six ounces— (i) Two cents; and (ii) Three-quarters of a cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of two ounces; (c) where the weight of the article exceeds six ounces— (i) Five cents; and (ii) One-half of a cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of six ounces,
	but where the amount of postage payable in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent

3. Books registered at a General Post Office, and periodicals and newspapers registered at a General Post Office and posted otherwise than as specified in the last preceding item, subject to compliance with the regulations—Six cents for the first six ounces and Five cents for each additional six ounces or part of six ounces

First Schedule—continued

4. Articles that are not articles to which item 1, item 2 or item 3 applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of article	Rate of postage, in cents
Not more than 2 ounces..............................................	6
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces..............................	12
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces..............................	18
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces.............................	24

Part II.—Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of letter, lettercard or postcard	Rate of postage, in cents, where the number of articles, irrespective of the weights of individual articles, is—
Weight of letter, lettercard or postcard	More than 2,500 but not more than 25,000	More than 25,000 but not more than 100,000	More than 100,000
Not more than 1 ounce..............................	5.5	5.0	4.5
More than 1 ounce but not more than 2 ounces..............	10.5	9.5	9.0
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces..............	16.0	14.0	13.5
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces..............	21.5	18.5	18.0
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces.............	27.0	23.0	22.5

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

Number of articles irrespective of the weights of individual articles	Rate of postage, in cents, for—
	The first 6 ounces or part of 6 ounces	Each additional 6 ounces or part of 6 ounces
More than 500 but not more than 5,000..........................	5.5	5.0
More than 5,000 but not more than 20,000........................	5.0	4.5
More than 20,000........................................	4.5	4.0

3. Articles that are not articles to which item 1 or item 2 of this Part applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of article	Rate of postage, in cents, where the number of articles, irrespective of the weights of individual articles, is—
Weight of article	More than 2,500 but not more than 25,000	More than 25,000 but not more than 100,000	More than 100,000
Not more than 2 ounces..............................	5.5	5.0	4.5
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces..............	10.5	9.5	9.0
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces..............	16.0	14.0	13.5
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces..............	21.5	18.5	18.0

First Schedule—continued

Part III.—Minimum Agreed Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of letter, lettercard or postcard	Rate of postage, in cents
Not more than 1 ounce...................................	4
More than 1 ounce but not more than 2 ounces...................	8
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces...................	12
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces...................	16
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces..................	20

2. Other articles to which sub-section (3.) of section six b of this Act applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Weight of article	Rate of postage, in cents
Not more than 2 ounces...................................	4
More than 2 ounces but not more than 4 ounces...................	8
More than 4 ounces but not more than 8 ounces...................	12
More than 8 ounces but not more than 16 ounces..................	16”.

Second Schedule.

7. The Second Schedule to the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from items 1 and 2 in Part I. the words “Thirty-six cents” and inserting in their stead the words “Forty-eight cents”; and

(b) by omitting from item 2 in Part I. the words “Three cents” and inserting in their stead the words “Four cents”.

Overview

The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1970, enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, is a revision of the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902-1968. This Act was introduced to update the postal rates and address the evolving needs of the postal system in Australia. The legislative change aimed to modernise the pricing structure to reflect current economic conditions and operational costs while maintaining accessibility and efficiency in postal services. The Act establishes new rates for postage, outlines the conditions under which certain postal items should be prepaid, and sets forth bulk postage rates to cater to high-volume senders. The policy objective behind this Act was to ensure that postal services remain affordable and accessible while supporting the financial sustainability of the postal system.

Scope and Application

The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1970 applies to the regulation of postal and telegraph rates in Australia, affecting both individuals and entities that send postal articles and telegraphic messages. This legislation provides a comprehensive framework for the rates applicable to various types of postal items and telegraphic services, ensuring that the charges are transparent and fair. The Act operates at the national level, administered by the Commonwealth, and sets out the rates for ordinary and bulk postage, as well as minimum agreed bulk postage rates, applicable across the country. It also includes provisions for the prepayment of postage, specifying that unless otherwise agreed upon with the Postmaster-General, postage must be prepaid in money. The Act includes specific exclusions and exemptions, such as the terms for articles addressed to "The Householder," and allows for adjustments through subordinate instruments. The application of this Act is extensive, covering all postal services and transactions within Australia, and it does not specify any particular thresholds that need to be met for its provisions to take effect.

Key Provisions

The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1970, as amended, introduces several key changes to the rates and procedures for postage and telegraph services. Section 6 of the Act specifies the rates of postage for postal articles other than parcels, with these rates detailed in Part I of the First Schedule (section 6(1)). For articles to which item 2 in Part I of the First Schedule applies, the Act mandates that postage must be prepaid in money, unless an agreement is made between the Postmaster-General and the person posting the articles (section 6(2)). This applies to ordinary rates as well as bulk postage rates, which are set out in Part II of the First Schedule (section 6b(5)). Additionally, section 4 of the Act modifies the requirements for articles addressed to "The Householder," aligning the payment method with the general rules for postage. The obligations imposed by the Act require individuals and entities posting articles to comply with the specified rates and payment methods. Specifically, they must ensure that postage is prepaid in money for ordinary and bulk postage, unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed upon with the Postmaster-General (section 6(2) and section 6b(5)). These obligations extend to all postal articles, including letters, postcards, newspapers, periodicals, and other items, with detailed rates provided in the First Schedule (First Schedule, Parts I and II). Breach of the Act's provisions, particularly non-compliance with the required prepayment of postage, may result in various consequences. While the Act does not explicitly detail criminal or civil penalties for non-compliance, failure to adhere to the prescribed rates and payment methods could potentially lead to administrative actions, such as fines or other enforcement measures imposed by the relevant authorities. The Act, however, does not specify the maximum penalties for such breaches, leaving room for interpretation and enforcement by the Postmaster-General or other designated authorities.

Area of Law: Commercial Law
Instrument: Act
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Regulatory Standards; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

Interactions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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