Please read carefully. All details are in this article.
Members of the public who wish to send Christmas care parcels to deployed personnel over the 2018 Christmas period - the Australian Forces Post Office address below will be open until 6 December 2018.
DEPT OF DEFENCE (not V360A) has determined that all care packages MUST be addressed in the following (non-gender specific) way:
An Australian Defence Member AFPO 60 Australian Defence Force NSW 2890
Parcels must meet the limitations outlined below. In order to ensure an equitable distribution of parcels, it is requested that donations are gender-neutral, and addressed to 'An Australian Defence Member,' not to a specific job title, trade or unit member.
Unfortunately Defence cannot accept care packages for Military Working Dogs or Explosive Detection Dogs due to strict care requirements relating to both their diet and their training programs. Handlers will not give their working animals toys or food sent in care packages so please do not send anything for these furry heroes.
Suggestions of what you might like to include: Toiletries o Deodorant (non aerosol) o Shaving cream (non aerosol) o Small bottle of talcum powder o Disposable razors o Shower Gel o Lip Balm
Food o Instant Noodles o Biscuits o Lollies o Small tinned consumables o Non-perishable foods
Other ideas o Magazines – from Vogue to Men’s Health o Puzzle books o DVDs o Socks o Letters of support o Self addressed envelopes – this way soldiers can thank you for the donation
What not to include • Pornographic material • Alcoholic beverages • Clothing (except socks) • Pork products • Cigarettes • Chocolate (ONLY if sending to warm climates)
Working dogs CANNOT receive packages and nothing sent for them will be delivered.
We know the recipients are most appreciative of the packages and these people are very deserving of our support.
To ensure that all items are able to be delivered to our deployed forces, donors are asked to ensure that packages contain non-perishable goods only. Previous experience has shown that items that are not robustly packaged can break open during transit, which can lead to infestation and spoilage of perishable goods.
Please ensure that parcels do not contain alcohol, pornography or culturally offensive/inappropriate written material for the intended destination.
All items must be submitted to an Australia Post outlet by the cut-off date of 6 December 2018, and meet the requirements and restrictions detailed in this post.
Please note that general care parcels received by Defence after this cut-off date , and those that exceed our ability to distribute to deployed personnel, will be donated to Australian charities. This is a Defence policy and cannot be influenced by V360A.
Please write on the parcel that if your parcel is surplus, you would like it donated to V360 Australia and include our postal address PO Box 194, Dianella WA 6059.
Any additional items we receive will be given to veterans who are or have recently experienced homelessness or other contact through our charity.
Parcel limitations: If you wish to send a Christmas care package at Defence cost, the following weight and size limitations must not be exceeded:
Maximum weight 2kg: Not exceed the cubed 2kg dimensions, noting an Australia Post "Bx2" box is the maximum permissible size of 2kg cubic weight; and Articles must be packed in durable packaging, which is suitably secured, in order to withstand a large volume of weight and handling.
Weight of item: Australia Post does not determine weight in part kilograms. Parcels that weigh part kilograms will be rounded up to the nearest full kg. For example, if your parcel weighs 2.2 kg then you will pay the cost of the 2.2 kg rounded up to the nearest full kg (3kg) and you will be charged for the full 3kg.
To be eligible for free post the item must not exceed the 2kg limit.
Packaging of postal items In general, all parcels must be made-up and packed to a standard which will: Prevent injury to the person handling the parcel; Prevent the contents escaping, leaking and damaging other postal articles; Prevent damage to equipment and vehicles, particularly aircraft; Protect the contents from loss or damage caused by the stress of handling and carriage; and Protect the contents from loss or damage caused by the extremes of climate.
Australia Post provides a very detailed guide that covers suitable packaging for all types of goods. It can be found at the Australia Post website and should be referred to prior to posting items to ensure that they are packaged appropriately. Items that are packaged inappropriately may be returned to the sender, or may need to be destroyed.
Prohibited goods Certain items must not be posted in the domestic and or international postal system. This includes items such as dangerous goods, items prohibited by the International Aviation Transport Association and items that are prohibited by individual countries.
Australia Post's Dangerous and Prohibited Goods and Packaging Guide is the best reference to use to ensure that you do not send any prohibited items. If in doubt, seek advice from Australia Post staff at your nearest retail outlet.
Liquid articles The sending of liquid articles is strongly discouraged. However, if you must send a liquid product, it must be enclosed in a leak-proof container made of metal, plastic or similar material with secure closures.
A suitable example of this would be a zip lock bag, placed inside another. The outer package must be strong enough to withstand large volumes of weight. Furthermore, the package must contain sawdust, cotton-wool or another protective material to absorb the liquid should the container break.
Tobacco and alcohol are not acceptable for goodwill care packages and are not to be sent.
Customs declaration: A customs declaration must be attached to all parcels sent to an Australian Forces Post Office. Small envelopes, containing items other than letters (i.e. CDs, USB thumb drives, etc) are required to have a customs declaration attached. These can be obtained from all Australia Post outlets within Australia. A detailed description of the contents is required when lodging each item.
We are still receiving messages that previous recipients are sending thank you letters, so remember to include a short note and a self addressed envelope. Stamps are not required.
Let’s show our deployed forces that we care this Christmas 🎄 🎁
