STATUTORY RULES.
1916. No. 101.
REGULATION UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1913.
(Issued provisionally as Statutory Rules 1915, No. 233.)
I, SIR ARTHUR STANLEY, Governor of the State of Victoria and its Dependencies, in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting as the Deputy for the Governor-General in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the undermentioned amended Regulation under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913 to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this twenty-fourth day of May, One thousand nine hundred and sixteen.
A. L. STANLEY,
Deputy for the Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
WILLIAM WEBSTER,
Postmaster-General.
Amendment of the Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913 (Statutory Rules 1913, No. 348, as amended by Statutory Rules 1915, No. 3).
Regulation 128 is repealed and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—
128. (1) Correspondence must not be posted addressed Poste Restante or to a post office to be called for, to a person to whom correspondence has been so addressed for a period of six months, or, in cases where an application for re-direction has been granted in accordance with sub-regulation (2) of this Regulation, for a period of twelve months, and shall, if received at a post office after the prescribed period has elapsed, be deemed to have been posted in contravention of the Regulations.
(2) Where an addressee has had correspondence addressed Poste Restante or to a post office to be called for, for a period of six months he may, upon making application to that effect, have correspondence so addressed re-directed to one address for a further period of six months, but upon the expiration of the further period of six months no further application for re-direction of the correspondence shall be granted.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-regulations (1) and (2) of this Regulation, in cases where any traveller or tourist satisfies the Deputy Postmaster-General as to his bona fides, the Deputy Postmaster-General may make such necessary arrangements as will meet the necessities of the particular case.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C. 6154—Price 3d.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1916, No. 101, represents an amendment to the Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913 under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1913. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the issue of managing correspondence that has been left at post offices for extended periods, specifically those addressed "Poste Restante" or intended to be collected by the recipient at a post office. This amendment was enacted by the Governor of the State of Victoria and its Dependencies, Sir Arthur Stanley, acting as the Deputy for the Governor-General, with advice from the Federal Executive Council. The overarching policy objective of these regulations is to ensure efficient postal services while also protecting the interests of the postal administration and preventing the accumulation of uncollected correspondence.
Scope and Application
The Post and Telegraph Regulations 1916, as amended, govern the handling of correspondence that is addressed Poste Restante or to be collected from a post office, establishing a framework for the management and retention of such mail. Specifically, these regulations apply to any individual or entity handling postal services within the Commonwealth of Australia, enforcing the stipulation that mail left for collection for a period exceeding six months is to be deemed in violation of the regulations. The regulations allow for an initial extension of collection period by six months upon application, but this extension can only be granted once. This legislative instrument extends its application nationally, impacting post offices across all states and territories in Australia, thereby enforcing a standardised approach to the management of uncollected mail. However, the regulations provide for exceptions, allowing the Deputy Postmaster-General to make special arrangements for bona fide travellers or tourists, thereby ensuring flexibility in exceptional circumstances. These regulations are complemented by further specifications and modifications that can be introduced through subordinate instruments, providing a comprehensive regulatory environment for postal services.
Key Provisions
The amended Regulation 128 under the Post and Telegraph Regulations 1913 introduces specific provisions regarding the handling of correspondence addressed Poste Restante or to a post office for collection. According to Regulation 128(1), correspondence that is addressed in this manner must not remain at the post office for more than six months. If correspondence is left unclaimed for a period exceeding six months, it will be deemed to have been posted in contravention of the Regulations. However, Regulation 128(2) allows the addressee to apply for the correspondence to be re-directed to a single address for an additional six months. After this additional six-month period, no further re-direction applications will be granted. Notably, Regulation 128(3) provides that the Deputy Postmaster-General may make exceptions in cases where a traveller or tourist demonstrates their bona fides, allowing for special arrangements to be made as necessary.
The obligations imposed by these provisions are primarily on the addressee and the post office staff. Addressees are required to collect their correspondence within the specified time frames, or apply for re-direction if they anticipate being away for an extended period. Post office staff must adhere to these regulations by not holding correspondence beyond the permitted periods and must be prepared to facilitate re-direction applications. Additionally, the Deputy Postmaster-General has a duty to assess the bona fides of travellers or tourists who request exceptions to the standard rules.
Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to several consequences. Under Regulation 128(1), correspondence left unclaimed beyond the stipulated period is deemed to have been posted in contravention of the Regulations, which may result in the non-delivery or confiscation of the correspondence. There are no explicitly stated penalties for breach in the Regulation itself, but non-compliance could lead to the correspondence being disposed of according to postal service policies. The regulation does not detail specific criminal or civil penalties, but breaches of postal regulations can generally result in administrative sanctions or fines as prescribed by other relevant laws or postal service policies.