Future of Regional Post Offices Under Threat
Small-town post offices are at risk due to aging licensees and changing community needs, advocates warn. A Senate inquiry is underway into Australia Post's retail network, including the role of licensed post offices in delivering community services.
A Senate inquiry is underway into the future of regional post offices, with advocates warning that small-town post offices are at risk due to aging licensees and changing community needs.
The inquiry will examine the role licensed post offices (LPOs) play in delivering community services. An inquiry into Australia Post's retail network will report back this month.
Concerns about the impact of post office closures
In Tarpeena, in South Australia's south-east, locals know what losing the local post office can mean. In 2022, the LPO running out of the local pub, the Pines Hotel, was closed, leaving the closest post office 20 kilometres away.
Long-time postie Shirley Little's mother owned and managed the LPO for more than four decades, back when it operated alongside the local general store.