Australia Post responds to surge in attacks with urgent new move

If you’ve ever noticed your postie acting a bit cautious near your front gate, there may be more to it than meets the eye.

A new safety step has just been rolled out following a rise in troubling incidents that have affected workers across the country in unexpected ways.

It’s a move aimed at protecting those who deliver through all kinds of challenges.


Over the past six months alone, more than 1,150 threatening dog encounters have been reported by Australia Post workers.

That’s an average of nine posties every single day forced to run for their safety—hardly the 'walk in the park' some might imagine the job to be.


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Australia Post will equip all posties with citronella spray by the end of July, following a sharp increase in dog attacks nationwide over the past six months. Credit: dimid_86 / iStock


Russell Munro, Australia Post’s General Manager of Safety, didn’t mince words:

‘Despite public awareness efforts and rigorous safety protocols, we continue to see alarming rates of dog-related incidents. Apart from the normal bites and scratches, we’ve seen posties knocked off bikes. We’ve also seen psychological trauma for our posties following serious dog attacks. Last year, one of our posties had her foot seriously injured when a dog bit through her boot.’

In response, Australia Post is rolling out a new, non-harmful deterrent: citronella spray.


This water-based spray isn’t dangerous to dogs, but it’s proven to be a powerful distraction—giving posties those precious extra seconds to protect themselves and call for help.

After a successful trial in some of the worst-affected areas in NSW and Queensland, where it deterred 80 per cent of attacks, the spray will now be issued to all posties by the end of July, with those in high-risk areas first in line.

But don’t worry—this isn’t about turning your friendly neighbourhood postie into a vigilante.

Employees will receive training and are instructed to use the spray only as a last resort when all other options have failed.

Bronwyn Adamson, a former vet nurse and now a postie in Western Australia, knows all too well the risks.


‘The incident occurred when I was delivering a parcel requiring a signature,’ she recalled.

‘A dog escaped from behind a gate and bit me on my breast, leaving a puncture wound and severe bruising which developed into a golf ball-sized haematoma.’

For Bronwyn and many others, the new spray offers much-needed peace of mind.

Australia Post has even released confronting footage showing aggressive dogs bursting out of front doors, leaping fences, and chasing down postal workers.

In one clip, a postie is seen clutching his leg and collapsing as a resident desperately tries to restrain her dog.


It’s a sobering reminder that these aren’t just statistics—they’re real people facing real danger.

Dog attacks on posties aren’t limited to one area—they’re happening all over Australia.

Here’s a breakdown of the worst-affected regions since November:
  • Queensland (388 incidents): Darra, Bundamba, Toowoomba
  • New South Wales (329): Moree, Penrith, Waterloo
  • Western Australia (184): Joondalup, Geraldton, Malaga
  • Victoria (138): Oakleigh South, Mooroolbark, Deepdene, Mornington
  • South Australia (60): Glynde, Lonsdale, Edinburgh North, Salisbury South
  • Tasmania (27): Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, Hobart
  • ACT (17): Canberra South, Mitchell, Tuggeranong
  • Northern Territory (10): Katherine, Palmerston, Darwin
The surge in online shopping and parcel deliveries means posties are visiting more homes than ever before.

Nearly 40 per cent of attacks in the past six months happened on a customer’s property, and in half of those cases, the front door had been propped open.


Roaming dogs are also a significant concern, accounting for 39 per cent of all incidents on the street.

Australia Post is urging all pet owners to do their part: if you’re expecting a delivery, please secure your dog in a contained area, a separate room, or behind a locked gate.

It’s a simple step that could prevent a serious injury—or worse.

We know many of our Seniors Discount Club members are dog lovers and responsible pet owners.

But even the friendliest pooch can get a fright or become territorial when a stranger approaches.

Let’s all do our bit to keep our posties safe—after all, they’re the ones braving the elements (and sometimes, our four-legged friends) to bring us our mail and parcels.
Key Takeaways
  • Australia Post will equip all posties with citronella spray by the end of July, following a sharp increase in dog attacks nationwide over the past six months.
  • More than 1,150 dog-related incidents have been recorded since November, with posties suffering from bites, injuries, and psychological trauma.
  • The citronella spray, which is non-harmful and water-based, will only be used as a last resort and has already proven to deter 80 per cent of attacks during initial trials in high-risk areas.
  • Australia Post is urging pet owners to secure their dogs—either in a separate room or behind a locked gate—when receiving a delivery to help prevent further attacks on postal workers.
Have you or someone you know had a close call with a dog and a delivery worker? Do you think citronella spray is a good solution, or is there more we could be doing as a community? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.
 

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We had three dogs 🐕 in our street that would race to the fence and were vicious when the postie came ,one right next to the mail box two were staffies and a white pig dog ?
Why he kept delivering their mail ,words fail me , a note should have been left telling them to pickup their mail at the post office Unless the dogs were restrained, you always knew when the postie came because of the incessant barking , the Postal Service should take a tougher stand with these irresponsible dog 🐕 owners as Councils are useless.
 
Citronella does not work on dingoes or cross breed dingoes.

One of my dingoes jumped an eight foot fence an attacked a postie causing a $938 medical bill. Australia Post threatened us with non delivery of mail in our whole street unless measures were taken.

The fence subsequently grew 2 foot....

That cured the problem but it didn't stop Mad Dog Morgan from trying!
 
Citronella does not work on dingoes or cross breed dingoes.

One of my dingoes jumped an eight foot fence an attacked a postie causing a $938 medical bill. Australia Post threatened us with non delivery of mail in our whole street unless measures were taken.

The fence subsequently grew 2 foot....

That cured the problem but it didn't stop Mad Dog Morgan from trying!
So why didn't you put your dogs behind a side fence or in a dog run?
 
I have owned a dog for many years and when I got it, I took it to a local dog training club. It never had the chance to attack a postie because it was always in the back yard not the front yard. I also never kept my dog inside the house unless we were not home. Any dog that attacks a postie should be reported and the owner fined.
 
An elderly lady I walk my assistance dog, occasionally came across a loose dog, or young people walking a large dog that they couldn’t handle.
One such was a boxer pushed the fence paling out and attacked my collie, her thick ruff saved her . In my bag was a can of aeroguard, a spray in its face saw it off.
Postmen or delivery people shouldn’t have to deal with this, sueing the owners might teach a lesson but otherwise I know that dogs don’t like citronella.
 
I was the first female to be employed full time by Australia post in WA back in 1975. Stayed with them for 33 years in various rolls. I had many bad encounters with dogs, 3 ended up with stitches and always had to have tetanus injections. I know that not all dogs are vicious, but for some reason posties can be a trigger. I would of welcomed any solution to the problem. Dogs that are allowed on the street or get out of the yard can be harmful to anyone one on the street not just posties. Owners should be fined.
 
I had an incident years ago while walking my new puppy. We were walking across a footbridge in a park when this man's two bull terriers rushed at my little one and dragged him down into the creek. The owner stood on the bridge and did nothing. I saw red and on impulse went down into that creek and started punching the two dogs who were both biting at mine. Luckily I was able to get my hands on my puppy and somehow I threw him up on the bank. I was exhausted and so angry and think I said to the owner 'why didn't you stop your dogs?' He didn't answer, just went off with the dogs as if he didn't care at all. My dog was bleeding and I took him straight to the Vet, who stitched him up and said that I had been very lucky this time. The dogs were never on a lead. I fully support the Posties to have Pepper Spray and hope it will be a good deterrant against further dog attacks.
Julie
 
Citronella does not work on dingoes or cross breed dingoes.

One of my dingoes jumped an eight foot fence an attacked a postie causing a $938 medical bill. Australia Post threatened us with non delivery of mail in our whole street unless measures were taken.

The fence subsequently grew 2 foot....

That cured the problem but it didn't stop Mad Dog Morgan from trying!
My kelpie ,s dna says 30% dingo, I have used citronella and she doesn’t seem to care about the smell at all.
 
I am so torn, I hear you but it is more cruel to cause damage to a person just trying to do their job. Would you rather nothing is delivered and you have to go pick it up? I am disabled I wouldn’t. A dog that attacks me or my dog which has happened will get whatever it takes to save us. The person who really needs to be punished is the owners.
 

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