Narrandera Post Office was at this East Street building for 125 years. Photo: Explored Visions by GD.
Australia Post says it won’t be reducing its mailing services to Narrandera, despite vacating an historic building it had occupied for 125 years and temporarily moving into a demountable.
However, the owner of the building has accused the government entity of neglecting its premises and gradually “abandoning” its commitment to regional Australia.
The Federal Government purchased a building on the corner of East and Twynam streets, from where it launched postal services back in 1900.
It owned the two-storey red brick structure until 1989, when mail delivery was corporatised – the newly formed Australia Post remained government owned but began to operate like a self-funded business.
A year later, Australia Post sold the building to private interests but occupied the premises as tenants to provide mailing service until August 2024, when it vacated the site and moved into an old shipping container at 92 Audley Street.
Australia Post said lead contamination at the East Street site meant it had no option but to relocate.
“This is how Australia Post are walking away from regional communities,” landlord Angela Cramp said.
“As tenants, it was their responsibility to maintain and clean the premises, but they neglected it.”
Australia Post denies this claim, saying the presence of lead-based paint is not uncommon in buildings of that age.
“Look at the Narrandera council building. It’s just as old but the council maintained it and Australia Post didn’t,” Ms Cramp said.
An old shipping container is the temporary post office in Narrandera. Photo: Narrandera Shire Council.
Ms Cramp has owned the premises since 2021. She is based in Wollongong and is also the executive director of the Licensee Post Office Group, a peak body representing post office franchisees.
She says contamination in the East Street site is confined to a few small areas of the building and it could be cleaned up and occupied again.
The government enterprise, however, wants to operate from somewhere else.
“Australia Post has been actively exploring options for a permanent full-service Post Office in Narrandera,” a spokesperson said.
“We’ve made a carefully considered decision to establish a lease at a new Narrandera location that caters for the working of a safe, efficient post office while meeting modern accessibility standards. Work to finalise arrangements is ongoing, and we’ll keep customers updated.
“Australia Post acknowledges the importance and proud history of the original East Street building.”
Ms Cramp believes this is part of a trend of regional communities being neglected.
“To me, a post office is a vital part of every community. I bought the building because I wanted to make a post office for Narrandera and future generations,” she said.
“The reason Australia Post has abandoned the post office building is because it suits their future directions as a parcel focused business only, not a community service provider on the main street of any community.”
Australia Post, however, says there will be no reduction of services when it moves into its new permanent shopfront.
