Australia Post has revealed the deadlines you must meet to get your presents delivered on time for the holiday season.

With parcel volumes already setting records this year, deliveries in December are predicted to surpass last year’s 52 million parcels.

And after being forced to pause parcel collections in September due to record demand, Australia Post executive Gary Starr said the service has planned ahead for the holiday rush.

The postal service said it has hired more than 4000 Christmas casuals, organised extra air freight capacity and weekend deliveries, and rolled out software updates to improve parcel scanning and delivery tracking.

Tweet from @RossAndRussel

On Monday, Australia Post also revealed a $400 million investment to increase its capacity by 30 per cent in time for Christmas.

As part of this investment, new parcel facilities are set to open in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Australia Post has encouraged people to send their presents and Christmas cards as early as possible to improve their chances of on-time delivery.

Make sure to send your gifts before these dates

Australia Post said posting by the following cut-off dates would help your deliveries arrive in time for the holidays:

• To send a parcel within Australia (Parcel Post): December 13
• To send a parcel within Australia (Express Post): December 20
• To send a parcel to/from Western Australia and/or the Northern Territory: December 8
• To send a Christmas card within your state: December 20
• To send a Christmas card interstate: December 16

Cut-off dates vary for delivery overseas.

Australia Post recommends posting items to these areas before the given cut-off dates, and checking its website for more details.