Post and Telegraph Rates

No. 71 of 1971

An Act to amend the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1970.

[Assented to 30 September 1971]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1971.

(2.) The Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1970 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1971.

Commencement.

2.—(1.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-section, this Act shall come into operation on the first day of October, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-one.

(2.) Sub-section (2.) of section 7 of this Act shall come into operation on the first day of March, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-two.

3. Sections 3 and 4 of the Principal Act are repealed and the following sections inserted in their stead:—

Incorporation.

“3. This Act shall be incorporated and read as one with the Post and Telegraph Act.

Definitions.

“4. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

‘bona fide subscriber’, in relation to a Category A publication, a Category B publication or a Category C publication, means a person who has ordered that copies of that publication be regularly supplied to him at the advertised price and sent to him by post;

‘Category A publication’ means a publication that is registered at a General Post Office as a Category A registered newspaper or as a Category A registered periodical;

‘Category B publication’ means a publication that is registered at a General Post Office as a Category B registered newspaper or as a Category B registered periodical;

‘Category C publication’ means a publication that is registered at a General Post Office as a Category C newspaper or as a Category C periodical;

‘rates of postage’ means the charges for transmission of postal articles posted in the Commonwealth for delivery in the Commonwealth, but does not include additional fees prescribed under the Post and Telegraph Act for special services;

‘rates for telegrams’ means the charges for transmission of telegrams within the Commonwealth, but does not include additional fees prescribed under the Post and Telegraph Act for special services;

‘registered book’ means a publication that is registered at a General Post Office as a book;

‘the Post and Telegraph Act’ means the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1971.”.

4. Section 6a of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Articles addressed to “The Householder”.

“6a.—(1.) This section applies to articles that—

(a) are comprised within item 1 or item 5 in Part I. of the First Schedule to this Act;

(b) are not addressed to specified persons but bear the words ‘The Householder’ or some similar words; and

(c) are posted in bulk.

“(2.) Subject to the next succeeding sub-section, the postage payable in respect of an article to which this section applies shall, except where otherwise provided by agreement between the Postmaster-General and the person posting the articles, be prepaid in money and is—

(a) in the case of each article for delivery within the city area in which it is posted—at the rate of Two cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces; and

(b) in any other case—at the rate of Three cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces.

“(3.) The Postmaster-General may enter into an agreement with a person who proposes to post more than one hundred thousand articles to which this section applies during a period specified in that agreement under which the postage payable in respect of the articles shall be at such rates as are provided in the agreement, not being lower than—

(a) in the case of each article posted for delivery in the city area in which it is posted—the rate of One and one-half cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces; and

(b) in the case of each other article—the rate of Two and one-quarter cents for each four ounces or part of four ounces,

and, in that case, the postage payable in respect of articles to which the agreement relates is, subject to the next succeeding sub-section, at those rates but, where an amount ascertained in accordance with the agreement includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent.

“(4.) An agreement under the last preceding sub-section may specify conditions with respect to—

(a) the manner of packing, addressing and marking the articles;

(b) the manner and place of posting the articles; and

(c) the arrangement of the articles so as to facilitate their delivery,

and, in that case, the rates of postage provided in the agreement do not apply in respect of the articles unless the person posting the articles complies with the conditions.

“(5.) In this section, ‘city area’ means an area for the time being determined by the Postmaster-General by an instrument in writing to be a city area for the purposes of this section.”.

5. After section 6b of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Regulations relating to registered newspapers periodicals and books.

“6c. The power of the Governor-General under section 97 of the Post and Telegraph Act to make regulations includes—

(a) the power to make regulations for and in relation to the registration of publications under the Post and Telegraph Act as newspapers, including, in particular, the power to make regulations limiting or extending the classes of publications that may be so registered; and

(b) the power to make regulations for and in relation to the registration of publications at a General Post Office as periodicals and books.”.

Limits of town and suburban telegraph rates.

6. Section 9 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “section ninety-seven of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901” and inserting in their stead the words “section 97 of the Post and Telegraph Act”.

First Schedule.

7.—(1.) The First Schedule to the Principal Act is repealed and the following Schedule inserted in its stead:—

FIRST SCHEDULE. Sections 6 and 6b.

——

Part I.—Ordinary Rates of Postage.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

First Schedule—continued

2. Category A publications and Category B publications, where the articles are posted—

(a) by the proprietors, printers or publishers of the publications to bona fide subscribers, and to newsvendors and agents for the purpose of sale; and

(b) by newsvendors and agents to bona fide subscribers, and to other newsvendors and agents for the purpose of sale,

subject to such conditions, if any, not being conditions that are inconsistent with the regulations, as are determined by the Postmaster-General, relating to—

(c) the manner of packing and marking the articles; and

(d) the arrangement of the articles so as to facilitate their sorting,

and to compliance with the regulations—

(e) in the case of Category A publications—an amount calculated, in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time, at the rate of—

(i) One cent for each article; or

(ii) Six cents for each twelve ounces or part of twelve ounces of the aggregate weight of the articles,

whichever is the greater;

(f) in the case of Category B publications that are posted for local delivery—an amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the rate of—

(i) One and one-half cents for the first two ounces or part of two ounces; and

(ii) One-half of a cent for each additional ounce or part of an ounce,

but, where the amount so calculated in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent; and

(g) in the case of Category B publications that are posted otherwise than for local delivery—an amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the following rates:—

(i) where the weight of the article does not exceed two ounces—Two cents;

(ii) where the weight of the article exceeds two ounces but does not exceed six ounces—Two cents, together with Three-quarters of a cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of two ounces;

(iii) where the weight of the article exceeds six ounces—Five cents, together with One-half of a cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of six ounces,

but, where the amount so calculated in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent.

3. Category C publications, where the articles are posted by the proprietors, printers or publishers of the publications or by a newsvendor or agent, subject to such conditions, if any, not being conditions that are inconsistent with the regulations, as are determined by the Postmaster-General, relating to—

(a) the manner of packing and marking the articles; and

(b) the arrangement of the articles so as to facilitate their sorting,

and to compliance with the regulations—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

First Schedule—continued

4. Registered books, and Category A publications and Category B publications posted otherwise than as specified in item 2 in this Part, subject to compliance with the regulations—Seven cents for the first six ounces and Six cents for each additional six ounces or part of six ounces.

5. Articles that are not articles to which item 1, item 2, item 3 or item 4 in this Part applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Part II.—Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

2. Registered books, subject to compliance with the regulations—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

First Schedule—continued

3. Articles that are not articles to which item 1 or item 2 in this Part applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

Part III.—Minimum Agreed Bulk Postage Rates.

1. Letters, lettercards and postcards—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

2. Other articles to which sub-section (3.) of section 6b of this Act applies—the rate ascertained in accordance with the following table:—

(2.) The First Schedule to the Post and Telegraph Rates Act 1902–1971, being the Schedule inserted in the Principal Act by the last preceding sub-section, is amended by omitting paragraphs (e), (f) and (g) of item 2 in Part I. and inserting in their stead the following paragraphs:—

“(e) in the case of Category A publications—an amount calculated, in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time, at the rate of—

(i) One and one-half cents for each article; or

(ii) Seven cents for each twelve ounces or part of twelve ounces of the aggregate weight of the articles,

whichever is the greater, but, where the amount so calculated includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent;

“(f) in the case of Category B publications that are posted for local delivery—an amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the rate of—

(i) Two cents for the first two ounces or part of two ounces; and

(ii) One-half of a cent for each additional ounce or part of an ounce,

but, where the amount so calculated in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent; and

“(g) in the case of Category B publications that are posted otherwise than for local delivery—an amount calculated, in respect of each article, at the following rates:—

(i) where the weight of the article does not exceed two ounces—Two and one-half cents;

(ii) where the weight of the article exceeds two ounces but does not exceed eight ounces—Two and one-half cents, together with One cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of Two ounces;

(iii) where the weight of the article exceeds eight ounces—Eight and one-half cents, together with One-half of a cent for each ounce or part of an ounce in excess of eight ounces,

but, where the amount so calculated in respect of the articles posted by any one person at any one time includes a fraction of a cent, the amount to be paid is the next higher amount that does not include a fraction of a cent.”.

Second Schedule.

8. The Second Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting from paragraph (b) of item 3 in Part I. the words “section ninety-five of the Post and Telegraph Act 1901–1966” and inserting in their stead the words “section 95 of the Post and Telegraph Act”.