Australia Post has been swamped with work as Victorians do more online shopping in lockdown than usual, and COVID-19 restrictions impact the delivery process.
On Sunday morning, a photo taken inside Australia Post’s Sunshine distribution warehouse revealed the high amount of deliveries the post service is dealing with.
Michelle Skehan, Australia Post’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, admitted on 3AW today that the photo was “a little bit terrifying.”
Ms Skehan claimed that online shopping was “booming” in Victoria, up by an estimated 30%, and that Australia Post was having a more challenging time dealing with the pandemic this time than during prior lockdowns.
She added that they could send things up to Sydney even last year when they had workforce limitations in the facilities. It’s a huge logistical challenge because Sydney, the ACT, and Victoria are all under lockdown.
eCommerce pick-ups in Melbourne have been stopped until Wednesday, but deliveries are still being made.
The delivery backlog has worsened by the isolation of 200 Australia Post employees due to COVID-19 exposure concerns.
Deliveries are also hampered due to truck driver strikes around the country. The Victorian government’s decision to require COVID-19 vaccination for all critical workers is expected to delay the process down even more.
