Kim and Peter O’Connor raised their concerns about postal cutbacks with independent candidate for Farrer Michelle Milthorpe. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Elderly residents in Coleambally have been left stranded by cuts to postal services, with some unable to travel to nearby towns for basic alternatives, a local farming family says.
The town’s long-standing licensed post office which operated at 33–35 Brolga Place closed on Friday, 6 February.
Some services resumed the following week at Marilyn’s Pharmacy next door, run by pharmacist Ross Myers — but key functions are now missing.
The pharmacy now provides a counter to send and receive mail, and sells stamps and prepaid satchels. However, it does not offer banking, BPAY bill payments or post office boxes.
“We didn’t even know the previous post office was shutting — we noticed a sign on the door a week before it happened,” retired farmer Kim O’Connor said.
Her husband, Peter, said the situation was untenable in a town with no public transport or regular taxi service.
“There are people with no driver’s licences — we have old people who now have to travel 33 km on their gopher scooter to pay an electricity bill, which is ridiculous,” he said.
“The only bank we have left is the Bendigo Bank, but a lot of farmers are with the Commonwealth Bank and used to do their banking at the post office, but now have to travel to Darlington Point.”
Mr O’Connor said that while he appreciated Mr Myers stepping in and the work he did, a pharmacy was not an appropriate substitute for a post office.
“If you go down to the doctor and get a script, you’re not going to want to go to the chemist to talk about your need for your hives while all the people are coming in to post their letters,” he said.
“It’s not good enough. Australia Post isn’t there to be a money-making arm of the government. It’s providing a service to the community — if it loses money, that’s how it should operate.”
Locals appreciate that Marilyn’s Pharmacy has taken over mail services, but want the full range of services from Australia Post. Photo: Facebook.
Australia Post was delivered by public service agencies until 1989, when it was corporatised and became a government-owned, self-funded business. Since then, it has contracted out services in many small towns to private operators.
Mr and Mrs O’Connor raised their concerns with Michelle Milthorpe, an independent candidate for the upcoming Farrer by-election.
“AusPost’s corporatised model is letting down our small towns,” Ms Milthorpe said.
“If AusPost keeps making decisions to protect a bottom line rather than to serve the people who rely on these services, then we as a country need to take a good hard look at what we expect from our national institutions. Essential services should not disappear from regional communities simply because they are smaller or less commercially attractive.
“The government should listen to Coleambally when they say they need this post office, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure your voices are heard.”
Ms Milthorpe has written to federal Communications Minister Anika Wells to outline her concerns.
An Australia Post spokesperson acknowledged the sudden closure had caused disruption.
“Licensed post offices are owned and operated by licensees as independent local businesses,” the spokesperson said.
“We understand the importance of postal services for the community and moved quickly to establish a community postal agency at Marilyn’s Pharmacy to support customers and maintain postal services in the town.
“Coleambally residents can access full services, including banking and Billpay, at Darlington Point LPO and Whitton LPO.”
