The organisation will equip posties with citronella spray as dangerous dogs continue to pose safety risk
The Australia Post will provide posties with citronella spray to help defend themselves against dog attacks after the service recorded an average of nine threats per day in the past six months.
The organisation started the spray distribution this month in high-risk regions, with the aim of letting posties use it as a "last-line-of-defence" measure to protect themselves from imminent attacks.
"When our people continue to end up in hospital, we have a responsibility to act and this is a last resort measure," said Russell Munro, Australia Post General Manager Safety, in a statement.
Citronella spray is a repellent commonly used against mosquitoes and other insects, but the deterrent has also been found effective in temporarily distracting dogs to give posties time to move to safety and call for help.
The distribution of the spray follows a trial from June to October 2024 in some of the worst-affected areas, which found that the spray was 80% effective in making dogs retreat.
"Moree in NSW is one of many hotspots where the number of roaming and unrestrained dogs has created dangerous conditions for our Posties. We've identified a safe citronella spray deterrent that has proven largely effective in de-escalating incidents," Munro said.
Australia Post aims to distribute citronella sprays to all posties by the end of July, before expanding the programme to include Parcel Delivery Drivers.
The deployment of citronella spray comes as new Australia Post data reveal over 1,150 dog-related incidents have occurred in the past six months.
According to the data, more than 44 posties fell victim to a threatening dog weekly, with an average of nine per day.
"Despite public awareness efforts and rigorous safety protocols, we continue to see alarming rates of dog-related incidents," Munro said.
Queensland recorded the highest number of dog incidents from November 2024 to May 2025, with a total of 388 cases. This is followed by:
In addition to physical and attempted dog attacks, there are also currently 35,000 active dog-related hazards flagged in handheld devices carried by posties.
"The safety of our team members is a core value at Australia Post," Munro said. "The best way to avoid dog attacks is to ensure your dog is safely secured behind a locked door or gate when your Postie arrives with your parcel."
