Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

An increase in the basic postage rate to $1 will provide a welcome and substantial boost to payments to around 2,900 licensed post offices, including those 1,600 in rural and remote communities. Many licensees and their representatives wrote to the ACCC supporting the proposed increase, noting it would significantly improve the sustainability of the post office network. The proposed increase would lead to a 43 per cent increase in delivery-related payments and an estimated increase in LPO payments of $75 million per year. Importantly, combined with other measures announced by Australia Post over the last two years to support LPOs, this will mean around $125 million extra in annualised payments to licensees. All of these elements combined would be good news for LPOs but also good news for the sustainability of Australia Post.