Post’s commitment to rural and regional Australia is enshrined in its community service obligations (CSOs), which require the corporation to provide a service that is reasonably accessible to all Australians, wherever they reside. At 30 June, 2,588 of the corporation’s 4,493 outlets were in rural and regional Australia (exceeding the CSO requirement that Post maintain 2,500 outlets in such areas).

During the year, in response to a Government policy commitment, Post developed a new pricing schedule for posting educational and health materials to and from remote areas of Australia. The new postage rates, which are 30 per cent lower than normal rates, apply to 290,000 delivery points in remote Australia and took effect on 1 July 2003.

In 2002–03, Post built on its commitment to rural and regional communities by supporting the Farmhand Drought Relief Foundation, which provided short-term relief to farmers in drought-declared and -affected areas. Post’s sponsorship of the Bell Shakespeare Company’s tour of regional Australia included educational workshops for 40 schools in rural and regional Australia. Additionally, two students from regional areas were selected through an audition to participate in a week of master classes with John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare Company in Sydney. State-based sponsorships in regional areas included the Tamworth Country Music Festival (in NSW); the Stawell Gift (in Victoria); the Rural Ambassador Award (run by the WA Royal Agricultural Society); the Beach to Bush water safety program (in Queensland); and the SA Great Regional Awards.



Post developed a comprehensive range of free educational resource materials for primary and secondary schools covering the history and operations of the postal service. In May 2003, Post also launched its education Internet site (auspost.com.au/education) – a resource for teachers and students.

For the third consecutive year, Post sponsored National Literacy and Numeracy Week in September 2002 and, in partnership with publisher Scholastic Australia, improved access to children’s books through the Read Around Australia program.



Post encouraged community involvement in recycling programs through a new partnership with Planet Ark. Approximately 9.8 million Christmas cards were recycled via the mail as part of Post’s involvement in the Cards 4 Planet Ark campaign.

Post’s support of the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program also enabled Australians to recycle their used printer cartridges, thereby reducing the consumption of raw material and preventing cartridges from going into landfill. Under the program, used cartridges can be deposited in collection bins at Post outlets across the country. The cartridges are sent to Close The Loop, a company that breaks down the components and removes the aluminium, steel, plastics, toner and ink for reuse and recycling.

Post also sponsored an educational interactive CD-ROM called Ollie Saves the Planet, which asks children to reconsider the impact they have on the environment. The CD was sent to every school in Australia.



Post has been a long-term supporter of melanoma research through the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Post also supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, National Heart Foundation, Breast Cancer Network Australia, the National Rural Health Alliance, Very Special Kids and the Make a Wish Foundation.



As a founding member of the Australian Business Arts Foundation, Post continued creating partnerships with the arts community, including sponsorships of the Sydney Festival, the Polyglot Puppet Theatre, the Melbourne Theatre Company, Black Swan Theatre (WA), the Adelaide Festival of Arts, the Brisbane Festival and the Canberra Multicultural Festival.

Post also sponsored one of the nation’s most significant cultural projects – Stage Two of the Beethoven–Stuart Piano Recording Project, an all-Australian recording of Beethoven’s five concertos. A unique aspect of Post’s sponsorship was the search for two talented young pianists to perform and record one movement of a Beethoven piano concerto with Sinfonia Australis.



Two of the world’s greatest ever tennis champions, Rod Laver and Margaret Court, received Post’s 2003 Australian Legends Award, with stamps produced in their honour. The announcement of the 2003 Legends was linked to Post’s major sponsorships of the National Australia Day Council and the Australian Open tennis tournament.


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