CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr CHAFFEY (Parkes) (10:31): I met recently with the licensee of the Condobolin Post Office, Susan Bennett. Susan is a hard-working regional Australian who is doing her best to provide Australia Post services in the remote town of Condobolin. But it's not easy.
Susan told me that, since buying the business in 2024, her operating costs have risen due to increased workplace health and safety requirements, compliance requirements, fuel, insurance, financial costs and vehicle maintenance challenges. However, income from Australia Post has not kept pace with these increases. She said: At 68 years of age and working 55 to 60 hours per week without drawing a wage, I am seriously concerned about the long-term viability of the business.
Susan is one of a number of post office licensees throughout the electorate of Parkes who have contacted me with concerns about their future and Australia Post's future. There are 2,700 licensed post offices throughout the country. Many of them provide a range of critical services for regional and remote communities, including banking and financial access; government services; support for small businesses, such as cash handling; and vital in-person services for people who cannot access the internet.
The post office could be the only place that provides banking and government services for many, many miles. But licensees fear there is an Australia Post plan to move to a parcel led model instead of a service model. Post offices are already closing.
Licensees are independent small-business owners who, as we have heard from Susan Bennett, often put in a lot more than they get out. The LPO Group, the advocacy body for owners of licensed post offices in Australia, say this parcel led approach is not sustainable, putting Australia Post offices against agile, well capitalised logistic operators. The LPO Group say this strategy is in direct conflict with the shareholder ministers' 2024 statement of expectations that requires Australia Post to maintain its retail network and support communities' access to financial services.
Clearly, Australia Post is heading in the wrong direction. On behalf of Susan and other post office licensees who have written to me with their concerns about the future, I ask the Albanese government to provide answers on this vital government business enterprise, Australia Post. How many Australia Post offices will close?
How many services will be lost to regional Australians? How exactly will this federal Labor government ensure that regional people continue to have access to banking and to the wide range of other services that their local Australia Post office provides if they are forced to close their doors?