A Wannanup resident has expressed her frustration after being told she couldn't send a care package to an Australian soldier because it weighed three grams over the required limit.
Tracy Matheson said she carefully selected $120 worth of goodies, as part of an Australian Defence Force and Australia Post Anzac Day initiative, waiving postage fees to deployed soldiers.
"I chose to send it to a female soldier, and chose nice things I knew she would have missed," she said.
The parcel was under two kilograms, but the packaging made it weigh slightly more.
Ms Matheson said her son, William, was told the parcel did not fit weight requirements when he attempted post the item at a Mandurah Australia Post Office on April 5.
It was a great initiative and valuable package - now I've missed the deadline.
- Tracy Matheson
"He was there on the last day of the campaign," she said.
"It was refused for a minuscule amount, about half a teaspoon of salt.
"They said it had to be the exact amount - I was outraged."
Ms Matheson said she called the post office and spoke with a staff member, who said they would not accept the package.
"These soldiers are fighting overseas for us and they do a great job," she said.
...All parcels must comply with those guidelines to ensure delivery to our armed forces on the field.
- An Australia Post spokesman
"It was a great initiative and valuable package - now I've missed the deadline.
"It was a small way of contributing and saying thanks, so they are not forgotten."
There are detailed guidelines on the Australian Defence Force website, outlining size and weight restrictions for travel and customs limitations.
An Australia Post spokesman said there was no way around the matter.
"As the Australian Defence Force has imposed very strict guidelines and arrangements on Australia Post, with space and weight being restricted on various military aircraft, all parcels must comply with those guidelines to ensure delivery to our armed forces on the field," he said.
The spokesman said despite it now being outside of the required time-frame, arrangements have now been made to for the customer the opportunity to go into a post office to have their package delivered, providing it complies with the weight requirement.
The Department of Defence website states any parcel received after the cut-off-date would be donated to an Australian charity.
Carla Hildebrandt
Journalist at the Mandurah Mail
Journalist at the Mandurah Mail
