Australia Post at centre of heated debate over muddy tyre marks

An annoyed resident has shared an image about the actions of his postie, and it has sparked huge debate about Australia Post.

Muddy tyre marks on a nature strip have sparked a huge debate online.

A homeowner shared what has now become a controversial image in a community Facebook group dedicated to complaining about Australia Post.

“My house is on the market and today my postie decided he’d tear up my nature strip despite the fact there’s a GIANT service lane they could have used,” he wrote, alongside a number of angry faced emojis.

He wasn’t the first to share pictures of muddy tyre marks in the group and blame it on a postie, but his post was the one that started a war of words among social media users.

Some agreed they would be equally mad and the man should demand compensation, while others were quick to point out the nature strip was not his property and some doubted a postie was to blame in the first place.

The photo that sparked the debate on a community Facebook group called Australia Post Complaints.

Comments included: “You don’t own the nature strip”, “That’s public area, so what?” and “Not your land it’s council land lol”.

One user asked: “Are you sure it was the postie? They don’t normally deliver on a Sunday.” However, the image appeared not to be taken the day it was uploaded, as the man had already posted the photo just over a week before and only received two comments.

“We had a lot of rain mate, they just doin their job,” wrote one user.

While, another said: “I feel your pain. It’s like they do it intentionally when the ground is at its wettest.”

“File a complaint with Australia Post and claim for the damage. They need to either compensate you or repair it,” wrote another.

The original poster then shared screenshots of his response from Australia Post after complaining.

“For efficiency, posties are required to ride from letterbox to letterbox wherever possible, rather than riding back down the driveway and onto the road to access the next address,” the reply stated, saying posties are the only drivers allowed to drive on the nature strip due to permission given by council.

The response also said the damage shown in the photos was “not unexpected” following heavy rain but the local team would be contacted to “take a look and consider compensation”.

A picture of caution tape put around the grass to protect it was also shared.

The man also shared a photo of the lawn surrounded by caution tape, writing: “This is what the postie faced for the next week.”

It was followed by a picture of a postie delivering mail to the letterbox by foot after parking their three-wheeled motorbike next to the tape.

An Australia Post spokeswoman confirmed to news.com.au posties were allowed to drive on nature strips.

“Australia Post works hard every day to deliver letters and parcels to millions of Australians, and in line with our community service obligations we are required to deliver to letterboxes, located on the boundary of each address, where it is safe to do so,” she said.

“This means our posties will travel between one home and another, including on footpaths and nature strips, in every corner of our country.

“We will always work with the local community to ensure we minimise any damage, however factors such as extremely wet weather can mean that grassed areas are heavier than normal, and where damage has occurred while providing this essential service we apologise.”