Postal Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1932L00097 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1932. No. 97.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1923.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this seventh day of September, 1932.

ISAAC A. ISAACS

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

J. E. FENTON

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendment of the Postal Regulations.

(Statutory Rules 1927, No. 144, as amended to this date.)

1. Regulations 79 and 80 are repealed and the following regulations inserted in their stead:—

79.—(1.) A postal article other than a newspaper may bear on the cover an endorsement requesting that if undeliverable it be returned to the sender. The endorsement shall be in the following form:—

“If not delivered within...... days return to................”.

(2.) The request for return shall specify a number of days not fewer than seven nor more than thirty. The endorsement shall contain the sender’s name and address unless he be a private box holder, in which case the private box number should be given instead of the sender’s street address.

(3.) If a postal article bearing such endorsement be undelivered at the expiration of the time specified or at the expiration of the time prescribed in the next succeeding regulation, whichever is the lesser, it shall thereupon be returned direct to the sender.

80.—(1.) An undelivered postal article (except a parcel or an article referred to in sub-regulation (2.) of this regulation) shall—

(a) if posted within the Commonwealth for delivery therein, be retained at the office of destination as follows:—

(i) if addressed to a fixed address, i.e., to a street, road, institution, farm, station, &c.—8 days:

Provided that the article shall be retained for one calendar month when the Postmaster knows

2693.—Price 3d.


that the addressee is residing in the locality served by his office, or has good reason to believe that the article will be called for during that period;

(ii) if addressed only to a post town, i.e., when only the name of the addressee and that of the post town appear in the address—14 days:

Provided that the article shall be retained for one calendar month when the Postmaster knows that the addressee is residing in the locality served by his office, or has good reason to believe that the article will be called for during that period:

Provided further that when the article is addressed to a person who previously resided in the locality and the Postmaster knows that such person has permanently left the district, the period of retention of the article shall be 8 days;

(iii) if addressed to a post office, i.e., when the name of the addressee, the words “Post Office” and the name of the post town appear in the address—one calendar month:

Provided that when the article is addressed to a person who previously resided in the locality and the Postmaster knows that such person has permanently left the district, the period of detention of the article shall be 8 days;

(iv) if addressed to a person on board a ship—one calendar month.

(b) if received from a place outside the Commonwealth, be retained at the office of destination for one calendar month,

and if still undelivered at the expiration of such period shall be transmitted to the Dead Letter Office unless the article bears an endorsement on the cover as prescribed in regulation 79, in which case it shall be returned direct to the sender.

(2.) A postal article which—

(a) bears no address;

(b) bears an illegible address;

(c) is for any reason refused by the addressee;

(d) is addressed to a deceased person and the provisions of regulation 70 do not apply;

(e) is returned to the post office as undeliverable by the proprietor of an hotel, lodging house, &c., or by a consul;

shall not be retained at the office of destination but shall without delay be transmitted to the Dead Letter Office unless the article bears an endorsement on the cover as prescribed in regulation 79, in which case it shall be immediately returned to the sender.


(3.) Undeliverable postal articles, other than newspapers, transmitted to the Dead Letter Office in accordance with the last preceding sub-regulation shall—

(a) if they were posted in the Commonwealth, be returned to the sender if such be practicable;

(b) if they were posted in another country, be dealt with in accordance with the arrangement made with the country of origin.

(4.) Except as provided in the next succeeding sub-regulation, undelivered newspapers shall not be returned to the senders.

(5.) Provided the cover or wrapper bears in print the inscription required by the Postmaster-General, an undelivered newspaper posted by the proprietor, publisher, or vendor thereof, shall be returned to the sender on payment of postage at the ordinary rate for newspapers.

2. Regulation 81 is repealed.

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1932 No. 97, titled "Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923," was enacted to amend and clarify procedures for handling undelivered postal articles within Australia. This regulation was made by the Governor-General in Council, under the authority of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923, to ensure effective and efficient postal services. The policy objective is to provide clear guidelines for the management of undelivered mail, ensuring that it is either returned to the sender or dealt with appropriately to prevent loss and facilitate recovery. This legislative instrument was introduced to address gaps in the previous regulations, particularly concerning the handling of undelivered postal articles and the retention periods at various postal destinations.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923 apply to postal articles other than newspapers, encompassing all entities and individuals sending mail within or into the Commonwealth of Australia. These Regulations detail the conditions under which undelivered postal articles are handled, including the endorsement procedures for requesting the return of undeliverable items and the specific retention periods for undelivered mail at the destination office. The geographic reach of these Regulations is limited to the Commonwealth of Australia, with special provisions for articles originating from outside the Commonwealth. The Regulations also set out provisions for the handling of undeliverable newspapers, with specific conditions for their return to the sender if certain criteria are met. The application of these Regulations is not subject to exclusions or exemptions, and they extend to all postal articles unless otherwise specified, with detailed provisions governing their retention and disposition. Any further specification or modification of the application of these Regulations may be made through subordinate instruments as needed.

Key Provisions

The primary provisions of these Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923 pertain to the handling of undeliverable postal articles, including the new rules governing endorsements on covers for return requests (reg. 79) and the retention periods at the office of destination (reg. 80). Regulation 79 allows for a sender to request that undeliverable postal articles, excluding newspapers, be returned to them by endorsing the cover with a specified number of days (not fewer than seven nor more than thirty) and providing their name or private box number. Regulation 80 details the retention periods for undeliverable postal articles, with different periods depending on the nature of the address and the origin of the postal article. These regulations also cover the handling of undeliverable articles that are not retained at the office of destination, such as those with no address, illegible addresses, or those refused by the addressee, stipulating that these should be sent to the Dead Letter Office unless an endorsement for return to the sender is present. These Regulations impose specific obligations on postal service providers, including the requirement to retain undeliverable postal articles for specified periods at the destination office (reg. 80(1)), and to return or forward undeliverable articles in accordance with the regulations, including handling endorsements for return to the sender (reg. 79 and 80(3)). Postal service providers must also ensure that articles meeting certain criteria are not retained at the destination office but are instead forwarded to the Dead Letter Office (reg. 80(2)). The Regulations further detail the process for dealing with undeliverable newspapers and the conditions under which they may be returned to the sender. The Regulations do not explicitly mention offences, penalties, or consequences for breaches. However, non-compliance with these provisions could potentially lead to operational inefficiencies or disputes over the handling of postal articles. The failure to adhere to these regulations might result in postal articles not being handled as specified, potentially leading to financial loss for the sender if articles are not returned or forwarded correctly. While the Regulations do not specify penalties, any breaches could be subject to administrative review or legal action under the broader framework of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923.

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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.