Key points
- Merri-bek and Stonnington councils have removed trees and vegetation at the behest of Australia Post to make room on footpaths for its new fleet of three-wheeled electric delivery vehicles.
- Australia Post has rolled out 3125 electric delivery vehicles across Australia, including 500 in Victoria, replacing its old postie motorbikes.
- The electric trikes are quieter, more environmentally friendly and carry three times as many items as a traditional motorbike.
Melbourne councils are chopping down trees and removing vegetation from footpaths to make way for Australia Post’s new environmentally friendly fleet of electric delivery vehicles, angering some residents who say they want more green spaces, not fewer.
Merri-bek, Darebin and Stonnington councils removed tree branches along footpaths in response to Australia Post rolling out 500 electric trikes, replacing the old motorbikes, in Victoria in May.
Jules Thomson-Martin with his children, Rufus and Wilco. Thomson-Martin was disappointed when the Merri-bek City Council cut down a tree on his street.Credit:Justin McManus
An Australia Post spokesman said the 3125 electric trikes being driven nationally were helping the organisation achieve its goal of reducing emissions by 15 per cent by 2025, and improving postie safety by reducing motorcycle rounds.
The trikes carry three times more items than a traditional motorbike. They have capacity for more than 100 small parcels and up to 1200 letters, helping Australia Post meet increased demand for parcel delivery driven by the online shopping boom that began during the pandemic.
The spokesman said Australia Post had not asked councils to cut down trees but it did request the removal of vegetation to clear footpaths.
“It’s important we have clear access to properties so we can keep delivering our customers’ letters and parcels efficiently and ensure a safe working environment for our team members,” he said.
Australia Post’s electric delivery vehicles have replaced motorbikes to help reduce emissions.Credit:Justin McManus
In a letter sent to a Coburg resident, Australia Post requested the removal of overhanging tree branches and bushes from the person’s home.
“Australia Post has changed delivery mode and now are using electric delivery mode due to dimensions,” the letter from the Preston delivery centre said. “I have a duty of care to my staff that their health and safety is not jeopardised whilst in the process of delivering mail. The overhanging branches and bushes on your property are an immediate risk to your postie as she/he rides past.”
Australia Post threatened to stop delivering mail to the resident if the overhanging branches and bushes were not removed.
“We would expect you to attend to this matter by 30/12/2022,” the letter said. “Failure to do so may result in your mail being held for collection.”
On the same Coburg street, residents said the Merri-bek council chopped down the “nicest tree in the street”, leaving only a stump.
Anita Curnow, director of city infrastructure at Merri-bek, would not comment on whether the tree was cut down at the request of Australia Post, but said the council had received complaints from delivery services.
“Council has recently received complaints regarding overgrown vegetation along some footpaths in Merri-bek,” she said. “Vegetation on private property must be cut back to the property line, and not exceed a height of three metres to ensure that pedestrians including delivery services, prams and other pedestrians can easily and safely pass by.”
Coburg resident Jules Thomson-Martin said Australia Post’s trikes were more like tuk-tuks than bikes and did not belong on footpaths.
“It’s not right to come in and remove a tree that has been growing for 30 years,” he said. “I’m a landscape architect and we are doing everything we can to get as much vegetation on streets as possible for obvious reasons, to tackle climate change and for amenity.”
The neighbouring council of Darebin received a “small number” of requests from Australia Post to prune vegetation in the past year.
“With the few requests council has received, we will aim to prune and provide the required clearance on our property for the new delivery trikes where possible without damaging vegetation,” a spokesman said.
In Melbourne’s south-east, the City of Stonnington said it had received more requests from Australia Post than normal over the past two years to cut back vegetation to accommodate its new vehicles.
The council could not provide exact figures but estimated it was about 30 to 50 requests per year.
The battle over Melbourne’s footpaths is likely to intensify as Australians continue their online shopping habits, buying $62.3 billion of goods online in 2021, according to Australia Post.
Other delivery companies are considering electric trikes, although only Australia Post is allowed to drive its vehicles on footpaths.
Lucas Groenveld, general manager of Uber Eats Australia, said micromobility by bike, scooter or trike was the future of “last-mile delivery”.
“It is the most sustainable and logical way to move lightweight packages through cities,” he said. “It’s cleaner, greener and more efficient. While micromobility can reduce emissions and create more vibrant metros, it needs to happen in lockstep with infrastructure improvements to cycling networks.”
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