Postal Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1962L00117 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1962. No. 117.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1961.*

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 1901-1961.

Dated this twenty-first day of December, 1962.

DE L’ISLE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

 

Amendments of the Postal Regulations.†

Return of Postal articles.

1. Regulation 8 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (8.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(8.) Where a fee for air mail transmission or for special delivery service has been paid on a postal article which is returned in accordance with this regulation and the stamps denoting any such payment have been cancelled, the amount of that fee may be refunded if no portion of the air mail transmission or special delivery service has been effected.”.

Payment of postage otherwise than by sender.

2. Regulation 60 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (4.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(4.) A person shall not send by post to any other person an article bearing an inscription or in which is enclosed a statement to the effect that, if that article, another article enclosed with that article or any other article is posted by the last-mentioned person, the postage will be paid by a person other than that last-mentioned person unless the Postmaster-General has, in pursuance of this regulation, allowed payment by a person other than the sender of the postage payable on that article.”.

Application for licence to use franking machine.

3. Regulation 73 of the Postal Regulations is amended by inserting in sub-regulation (2.), after the words “, the applicant shall give”, the words “, if required to do so by the Postmaster-General,”.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 24th December, 1962.

† Statutory Rules 1935, No. 3, as amended by Statutory Rules 1935, Nos. 53, 70, 80 and 95; 1936, Nos. 50 and 113; 1937, Nos. 13, 35, 37 and 48; 1938, Nos. 2, 55, 94 and 100; 1939, Nos. 44, 57 and 66; 1940, Nos. 1 and 232; 1942, Nos. 5, 313, 439 and 554; 1943, Nos. 57, 94, 122, 237 and 286; 1944, No. 145; 1945, No. 194; 1946, Nos. 131 and 149; 1947, Nos. 91 and 114; 1948, No. 62; 1949, Nos. 23, 30, 38 and 106; 1950, Nos. 49 and 93; 1951, Nos. 22 and 72; 1952, No. 38; 1953, No. 81; 1954, No. 52; 1955, No. 28; 1956, Nos. 31 and 67; 1957, No. 38; 1959, Nos. 7, 21, 26, 63 and 85; and 1960, Nos. 75 and 103.

9348/62.—Price 3d.       10/8.11.1962.


Granting of licence to use.

4. Regulation 74 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the words “, upon security being given by the applicant in accordance with the last preceding regulation,”.

Redirection of postal articles.

5. Regulation 97 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting paragraphs (b) and (c) from sub-regulation (5.) and inserting in their stead the following paragraph:—

“(b) the article has the appearance of having been opened or tampered with.”.

Compensation for loss, damage or rifling of sealed articles and for loss of unsealed articles.

6. Regulation 165 of the Postal Regulations is amended by inserting after sub-regulation (1.) the following sub-regulations:—

“(1a.) Where the Postmaster-General is satisfied that a registered postal article posted in Norfolk Island, the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea or the Island of Nauru for transmission to the Commonwealth was lost, or the contents thereof, whether in whole or in part, were lost, damaged or rifled, while the article was in his custody, compensation shall, subject to this regulation, be payable in accordance with these Regulations in respect of the loss, damage or rifling.

“(1b.) Payment of compensation under the last preceding; sub-regulation may be made to the person to whom the registered postal article is addressed where the sender of the article, by instrument in writing, waives, in favour of that person, his claim for compensation.”.

Compensation for loss of registered article addressed to, or posted in, a place beyond the Commonwealth.

7. Regulation 172 of the Postal Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulations:—

“(1.) Where the Postmaster-General is satisfied that a registered postal article—

(a) addressed to a place beyond the Commonwealth (other than Norfolk Island, the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea and the Island of Nauru); or

(b) posted in a place beyond the Commonwealth (other than Norfolk Island, the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea and the Island of Nauru),

was lost while in his custody, the Postmaster-General may pay to the sender compensation not exceeding Three pounds twelve shillings and sixpence.

“(1a.) Payment of compensation under this regulation may be made, in respect of a registered postal article referred to in paragraph (b) of the last preceding sub-regulation, to the person to whom the registered postal article is addressed where the sender of the article, by instrument in writing, waives, in favour of that person, his claim for compensation.”.

Compensation for lost of registered article posted overseas.

8. Regulation 173 of the Postal Regulations is repealed.

 

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules of 1962, No. 117, known as the Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961, were enacted to amend the existing Postal Regulations. These amendments aimed to address various administrative and operational aspects of postal services, including refunds for prepaid services on returned items, conditions for third-party payment of postage, and the use of franking machines. The enactment of these regulations by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council, reflects the intent to streamline postal service operations and improve customer service. The overarching policy objective is to ensure that the postal regulations remain relevant and effective in facilitating efficient postal services while addressing potential ambiguities and logistical challenges that may arise in the administration of postal services. These amendments to the Postal Regulations, effective from December 21, 1962, focus on refining the processes and procedures governing postal services to better serve the public. Key changes include the establishment of clearer guidelines for refunding prepaid air mail and special delivery services, stricter controls on the use of franking machines to prevent misuse, and the formalisation of compensation frameworks for lost, damaged, or rifled postal articles. By updating these regulations, the Australian Government sought to enhance the reliability and efficiency of postal services, thereby supporting the broader objectives of communication and commerce within the country and its territories.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules of 1962, No. 117, which are regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961, provide amendments to the existing Postal Regulations. These regulations apply to individuals and entities involved in postal services within the Commonwealth of Australia, addressing various aspects such as the refund of fees for air mail transmission or special delivery services when these services are not rendered, the conditions under which postage may be paid by someone other than the sender, the process for applying for and obtaining a licence to use a franking machine, the redirection of postal articles, and the compensation for loss, damage, or rifling of sealed articles and for loss of unsealed articles. The amendments also specify compensation for registered postal articles lost or damaged within certain territories and beyond the Commonwealth. The geographic scope of these regulations encompasses the entire Commonwealth, including Norfolk Island, the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea, and the Island of Nauru. The application of these regulations is extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, such as the amendments and repeals mentioned in the document.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of the Statutory Rules 1962 No. 117 under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961 focus on amendments to the Postal Regulations. Regulation 8(8) now allows for a refund of the fee for air mail transmission or special delivery service if the postal article is returned and the stamps are cancelled, provided no part of the service has been rendered. Regulation 60(4) stipulates that a person cannot send a postal article with an inscription or enclosed statement indicating that postage will be paid by someone other than the recipient unless the Postmaster-General has allowed such payment. Regulation 73(2) requires an applicant for a licence to use a franking machine to provide additional information if requested by the Postmaster-General. Regulation 74(1) no longer requires security to be given for the grant of a licence to use a franking machine. Regulation 97(5)(b) specifies that redirection of postal articles will be considered if the article appears to have been opened or tampered with. Compensation provisions have been amended to cover loss, damage, or rifling of registered postal articles, with specific provisions for articles posted in Norfolk Island, the Territory of Papua, the Territory of New Guinea, and the Island of Nauru, as well as those posted overseas. The obligations imposed by these regulations require individuals and entities to adhere to the specified conditions for the payment of postage, the use of franking machines, and the redirection of postal articles. Specifically, Regulation 60(4) requires that any indication that postage will be paid by someone other than the recipient must be approved by the Postmaster-General. Regulation 73(2) imposes a requirement for applicants to provide any additional information requested by the Postmaster-General when applying for a franking machine licence. Regulation 97(5)(b) requires postal authorities to consider the appearance of tampering as a criterion for redirecting postal articles. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in various consequences. Although specific offences and penalties are not detailed within the regulations themselves, breaches of postal regulations can generally lead to administrative actions, such as fines or other penalties, as determined by the relevant authorities. Compensation provisions in Regulations 165 and 172 outline the circumstances under which compensation may be payable for lost, damaged, or rifled postal articles, with specific limits and conditions for international mail.

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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.