Australia Post Annual Report 2008–09

Statutory reporting requirements (continued)
for the year ended 30 June 2009
Medical/Educational Remote Area
Parcel Service
The Medical/Educational Remote Area Parcel
Service provides reduced postage rates for
parcels containing health and educational
material that are sent to and from people living
in remote communities. In the 2008–09
reporting period, revenue foregone is
estimated at $145,350.
Superannuation
During 2008–09, Australia Post complied with
all relevant guidelines and made no significant
changes to superannuation arrangements
for employees.
Occupational Health and Safety
(OH&S) report
The following information is presented in
accordance with the requirements of s74 of
the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991
(OHS Act 1991).
A number of measures were taken during the
year to assist in providing for the health, safety
and welfare at work of employees and
contractors of the corporation. These included:
• implementing a Health and Safety
Management Arrangements document to
enable managers to work in consultation
with employees to effectively manage
workplace health and safety hazard issues
• implementing a new Australia Post
OH&S Policy
• directing OH&S improvements through
OH&S plans at national, state and workplace
facility levels. These plans provide for OH&S
management systems and supervisory
accountability; auditing the effectiveness
of the OH&S management system;
induction and skills training; compliance
with corporate and statutory OH&S
requirements; workplace safety audits for
hazard identification and control; accident
prevention initiatives targeted at priority
accident types; and employee involvement
in OH&S
• auditing OH&S legislative and corporation
OH&S policy compliance through the
Australia Post Occupational Health and
Safety Management System Quality
Assurance Program. The Corporation
recorded an overall high level of
conformance with OH&S audit criteria
• maintaining OH&S committees throughout
the corporation
• providing OH&S related training for health
and safety representatives, managers,
supervisors and staff throughout
Australia Post to develop a greater
understanding of corporate and
statutory requirements
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Australia Post Annual Report 2008–09 | Financial and statutory reports
• introducing a new uniform for our mail
delivery staff that incorporates high levels
of protection from solar UV, high levels of
visibility, and thermal comfort while the staff
are performing mail delivery
work outdoors
• conducting the Safe Postie Campaign
to raise public awareness of the issue
of postie safety through newspaper
and letterbox drop publicity
• training motorcyclists in safe riding
behaviour and reinforcing existing safe
work practices, including regular motorcycle
maintenance inspections and risk reviews
of motorcycle rounds
• continuing to operate a range of employee
health and wellbeing programs, including
a financial education program and
confidential staff counselling service
• implementing a Transport Driver Fatigue
Management Plan to control OH&S risks
associated with driver fatigue
• continuing to implement our Harassment
Discrimination Bullying Policy and
procedures to help managers and
employees understand these issues and
provide a guide for managers to assist in
preventing and managing bullying
• continuing to ensure that new and modified
equipment and work practices were
compliant with safety requirements
before activation
• implementing initiatives under the
enforceable undertaking entered into with
Comcare in relation to an alleged failure by
Australia Post to observe it duties under the
OH&S Act
• advising contractors on safe work practices.
As a result of these and other initiatives,
the corporation met the injury prevention
performance targets of the Safety,
Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.
During the year:
• 859 incidents were notified to Comcare in
accordance with s68 of the OHS Act 1991
• 27 Provisional Improvement Notices
(s29) were given
• 2 Improvement Notices (s47) were given
• 1 Prohibition Notices (s46) was given
• 33 investigations were conducted relating to:
– plant and machinery safety (15)
– mail delivery, including motorcycle
operations (12)
– transport (trucks and vans) operations (3)
– incidents involving members of the
public (2)
– electrical safety (1).
Freedom of information report
In the year to 30 June 2009, Australia Post
received 40 applications under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cwlth).
These applications were managed as follows:
Access granted in full 11
Access granted in part 12
Access denied under the Act 14
Applications withdrawn 3
Applications on hand at 30 June 2009 0
Of the eight applications for internal review of
decisions during the year:
• three applications resulted in the decision
of the Freedom of Information Officer being
substantially affirmed
• in three applications, the reviewer’s decision
granted greater access, though not in full
• in one application, the reviewer’s decision
granted greater access in full
• in one application, access was granted
in another form.
The application that was lodged with the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal in the financial
year 2007–2008 was withdrawn by the
applicant.
Two applications were lodged with the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal in the
2008–2009 financial year. One application
was withdrawn by the applicant. In the
other application, Australia Post had its
decision substantially affirmed.
The estimated cost of handling Freedom
of Information requests and related
responsibilities in 2008–2009 was $31,415.
Application fees and charges of $1,962
were collected.
Freedom of Information Act, Section 8
The following information is presented in
accordance with section 8 of the Freedom
of Information Act 1982.
Organisation and functions
Australia Post has Melbourne-based
headquarters, five state-based commercial
administrations and four joint ventures.
Headquarters is responsible for strategic
planning, policy and support activities.
State-based commercial administrations
direct day-to-day business activities.