Australia Post has put a temporary halt on all mail entering the country by sea as a growing number of prohibited items make their way to our shores.
According to its website, Australia Post temporarily suspended all incoming sea mail from 1 October. An Australia Post spokesperson confirmed this was due to an “increasing number of prohibited mail items coming into Australia by sea”.
While sea mail takes a long time, people opt for this service because it is cheaper. However, sea mail had to be sorted through by Border Force unlike airmail, which can be X-ray scanned for prohibited items early in the mailing process.
“The increase in sea mail volume was a direct result of Covid air restrictions and decreased aircraft capacity,” an Australia Post spokesperson said.
“Australia Post currently has only one facility capable of managing sea mail, and significant delays and safety concerns have been experienced due to the volume of prohibited items arriving and requiring intervention.”
The temporary suspension has been put in place to ease pressure on the processing system as the busy holiday period approaches.
“Australia Post is in the process of reviewing its sea mail capacity in order to remove the suspension as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
“Australia Post is still processing sea mail containers in transit at the time the suspension was announced, and there remains no impact to mail items being sent by air to Australia or items being sent by sea from Australia.
“Australia Post apologises for any inconvenience during this time.”
For people like Ben Lloyd and his family, who have relatives overseas, the temporary suspension has blindsided them and affected special holiday traditions.
“My in-laws in Poland can’t send presents to their family in Australia [for Christmas],” Lloyd said.
“My wife has told me that members of the Polish community are outraged about it, understandably.”
Lloyd’s family visited Poland last month and tried to send some of their belongings home to Australia via sea mail to lessen the weight of their luggage.
“That parcel was returned to the sending address [his in-laws] and they said ‘Australia is not accepting it. You can send it via airmail, that’ll cost you $400 though’,” he said.
“For my family it’s a minor inconvenience but you know, there’s a lot of people in Australia who have family overseas and those sort of things provide evidence of a connection, and getting that gift from Poland or wherever it is [means something].”
