The Australian Passport Office will recruit more than 250 extra staff in an effort to address delays after a backlog of keen travellers submitted a record number of applications.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has advised new passports may take up to six weeks to process as the reopening of borders increases demand.
There was a record 16,417 applications lodged on Tuesday, roughly double the number received per day before the pandemic.
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts described the current delays as unacceptable, as he laid blame at the feet of the previous government.
"This problem was predictable and is the result of the previous government dropping the ball and failing to properly plan for the surge in passport applications when borders re-opened," he said.
"It shouldn't be Australians who suffer the consequences of these failures. While it will take some time to get back on track, we will continue to work with DFAT to make sure the required resources are delivered."
READ ALSO:
The minister has pledged to increase the number of staff to address the issue.
He said an additional call centre with 35 staff would be established this week with more staff joining the team next week. In addition, 250 staff members will come on board over the next six weeks to process applications.
