Flinders Electorate: Australia Post

Ms McKENZIE (Flinders) (10:04): I rise today to fight Australia Post's decision to close the Rosebud Plaza post office on 29 August of this year. This is a disgraceful and most callous decision. The nearest alternative post office is two kilometres away, which may not sound like much to you, Deputy Speaker, and to others in this chamber, but it needs to be taken in the context of Flinders being one of the oldest electorates in the country. Eighty-three per cent of our land mass has no access to any public transport. This closure will make accessing postal services extremely difficult for many residents.

Rosebud Plaza is the hub of retail activity on the southern Mornington Peninsula. Almost 30 per cent of residents of Rosebud are aged 65 or over, compared to 17 per cent in the rest of Victoria. According to the 2021 census, we need to do more to look after this age demographic, and expecting our seniors to walk long distances just to get to the post office is not feasible. Residents have expressed concern that surrounding post offices will be unable to absorb the additional demand. Long queues already occur, especially around Christmas, when two million visitors come to the Peninsula, and this decision will make the situation even worse.

I have written to Australia Post and the federal Minister for Communications seeking further information and urging them to keep this post office open to maintain local access to essential postal services. Since launching a petition on 17 June, more than 1,300 have people signed. I've heard from seniors, people with disabilities and carers who say this service is vital to staying both independent and connected. Many are writing on behalf of elderly family members and many in their own capacity as a person with a disability or indeed as a senior citizen. One thing is clear: closing this post office will be to the detriment of the Rosebud and Capel Sound community. It will reduce access to postal services for our most vulnerable community members, isolating them, to some extent, from the outside world.

Tracy van Lieshout wrote to me: 'I am disabled. I live nearby and cannot drive. I can only use a mobility scooter. My medication is sometimes delivered straight to the post office, so, without this branch, getting my medication will be near impossible.' Leanne Megson, a local carer, said to me: 'For me, it's the convenience of having Australia Post close for access, but, for the elderly or disabled, this is their lifeline. Carers take these people out for a social time, and most clients use the post office to get money out, to pay bills or to bank their money. A lot of clients still write letters. They send cards and purchase stamps there. It's also better for parking than McCrae or Rosebud central, as it has access to flat ground when taking clients out and more disability parking.'

As more Australians choose to age at home, nearby postal services are essential not just for sending mail but for staying connected and independent. A good society looks after its older citizens, and that includes maintaining services like Australia Post.