Key Points
- Australia Post to reintroduce weekend deliveries starting this week.
- Weekend deliveries will remain in place up until Christmas, subject to demand.
- For most locations within Australia, the Christmas mail should be sent by 20 December 2024.
People across the country will soon be able to receive parcels on Saturdays and Sundays, with Australia Post temporarily reintroducing weekend deliveries.
From this week, weekend deliveries will resume in all metro capitals and select regional cities and towns.
Australia Post executive general manager of parcel, post and eCommerce services, Gary Starr, said it will help to ensure customers receive their parcels before Christmas Day.
"With the holiday season just around the corner, we know how important it is for our customers to receive their parcels on time," he said in a statement on Thursday.
"By bringing back weekend deliveries, we're not just meeting customer demand, but hopefully making holiday shopping easier for everyone."
Australia Post expects early Christmas shopping will drive another record-breaking year. Source: AAP / James Ross
"We've been preparing all year for another busy peak season, recruiting thousands of new team members to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible," Starr said.
"Last year, we delivered nearly 100 million parcels.
"With the cost of living crunch, customers are expected to make the most of major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so we anticipate early Christmas shopping will drive another record-breaking year."
When are Australia Post's Christmas cut-off dates?
For most Australian destinations, parcels sent by regular post from most Australian metropolitan destinations should arrive before Christmas Day if lodged by 20 December.
For Express Post, the cut-off date is 23 December.
If you plan to send Christmas cards, make sure they're in the post before 13 December.
Anyone sending mail to or from Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory should allow a few extra days.
Location-specific cut-off dates can be found on the Australia Post website.
Australia Post's cut-off dates vary for international deliveries, starting from late November.
Parcels sent by regular post should be mailed before 5 December for New Zealand, most East and Southeast Asian countries, and major European destinations.
The cut-off date for Canada and the United States is 9 and 11 December, respectively.
