In April 2002 Australia Post advised the ACCC of its intention to lodge a price notification under s. 22 of the Prices Surveillance Act (the Act has since been repealed and similar provisions added to the Trade Practices Act, known as the Competition and Consumer Act from 1 January 2011).
Australia Post proposed to increase the price of most letter services, including the price of the basic postage stamp, pre-sorted bulk mail, greeting cards and large letters, effective 13 January 2003. Australia Post also proposed to introduce a new bulk mail category, Clean Mail, priced at a discount to the basic postage rate.
In a preliminary view document, the ACCC supported the increase in the basic postage stamp price to 50c, but opposed the bulk mail price increases. Australia Post then submitted a formal price notification which was broadly consistent with the ACCC's preliminary view.
The ACCC released its final decision regarding Australia Post's pricing notification on 25 October 2002, not objecting to the prices in the formal price notification.