The Communication Minister’s refusal to hold Australia Post to account for its alarming increase in the fuel surcharge shows she is not up to the job, according to Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety, Sarah Henderson.
“Anika Wells’ failure to stand up for small businesses gouged by Australian Post’s skyrocketing fuel surcharge is a disgrace,” Senator Henderson said.
“Since the outbreak of the national fuel crisis, Australia Post has increased its fuel surcharge for 30,000 businesses with a domestic parcel sending contract from 4.8 per cent to 19.5 per cent.”*
“This 306 per cent increase is nothing short of highway robbery by an essential government service which should be doing everything to support, not crucify, small business,” Senator Henderson said.
According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, since the fuel crisis began the weekly average retail price of unleaded petrol has increased marginally from 181.0 to 183.4 cents a litre. In the same period, diesel has gone up from 180.9 to 254.3 centres a litre, an increase of 41 per cent.**
“Australia Post’s claim the staggering increase in its fuel levy is due to “cost recovery” and a “necessary adjustment which reflects higher fuel costs” is a blatant lie,” Senator Henderson said.
On 13 April 2026, Senator Henderson wrote to Minister Wells requesting the previous increase in the fuel surcharge be reversed and demanding answers including the methodology used to calculate the surcharge and the underlying fuel cost assumptions. The minister refused to provide this information.
“In the face of Labor’s escalating inflation and interest rates, so many small businesses are struggling to keep the door open,” Senator Henderson said.
“The minister’s contempt for small businesses increasingly relying on parcel deliveries during a fuel crisis is untenable.”
“The government should be doing everything to ensure Australia Post, as a taxpayer-funded enterprise, acts in the national interest during times of crisis,” Senator Henderson said.
Senator Henderson has made representations to Australia Post’s managing director, Paul Graham, requesting the fuel surcharge increase be urgently reviewed.
*Since the beginning of the fuel crisis, the fuel surcharge for StarTrack Courier customers has also increased from 4.8 to 19.5 per cent. For StarTrack Express and StarTrack Premium customers, the fuel surcharge has risen from 15.5 to 30.2 per cent.
**The current fuel prices take into account the 32 cent per litre fuel excise reduction.