Australia Post has backflipped on its decision to cease carrying perishable items in a move welcomed by producers reliant on the service.
Producers were shocked when Australia Post announced it would no longer allow meats, seafood, eggs, or frozen meals to be sent in the mail because of complex food safety and regulatory requirements.
The Australian Small Business Ombudsman has been called in to develop a long-term sustainable fix to support the growing e-commerce industry.
Common sense prevails
North Tasmanian salmon farm co-owner Ben Pyka sends about $80,000-$100,000 worth of hot-smoked salmon and spices through the mail via Australia Post each year.
He said Australia Post had provided no prior consultation and the looming June 30 date for the end of perishable deliveries had caused him much stress.
"I've been having conversations with other suppliers of freight to look at potential solutions and deal with the damage," he said.
"More people are going to order online, people are going to want more stuff, and more people are going to move into rural settings."
In a statement, Australia Post said the new forum will work to better understand customer needs and work hand-in-hand with regulators to determine where changes may be required.
"We recognise the original date for ceasing perishable transport through our network would cause significant disruption to small businesses, many who have experienced significant growth in e-commerce sales during COVID-19," said acting group CEO Rodney Boys.
Return to sender
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson said he was looking forward to working with Australia Post to ensure this essential service is available to small business food producers.
"We welcome this opportunity to work collaboratively with Australia Post to ensure small business food producers can continue to count on their delivery services," Mr Billson said.
"I am encouraged by the willingness of Australia Post and industry stakeholders to work together to help resolve any issues Australia Post is experiencing across its delivery network.
Australia Post will continue to ship perishable goods as the forum continues to convene, with the first meeting between Australia Post and the Ombudsman to occur next Tuesday.
The broader industry group will then meet next month, with a view to hold regular sessions with key regulatory bodies, government agencies and e-commerce experts.
'Not good enough'
Federal Labor's spokeswoman for agriculture Julie Collins said the initial decision by the company punished business owners for adapting during COVID-19 restrictions.
"There was not enough consultation with people and we are pleased that we've got a bit of a stay on them ending it.
"But the government needs to do much more. It needs to involve itself in this."
Ms Collins said Australia Post was an essential service, particularly in regional Australia.
"For what I'm hearing from producers and Australia Post itself is there are some alternatives but they don't [ship] regularly, [and] some of them need to have several different providers along the chain depending on where the produce is going from shipping point to shipping end," she said.
"It's a whole heap of stress that they could have done without, quiet frankly, and the fact it was done without consultation is not good enough from the government."
