Campaign against Australia Post closures

Australia Post has announced the closure of another four post 
offices in regional Victoria. Australia Post has informed the 
postal workers' union, the CEPU, that post offices at Tatura, 
Lakes Entrance, Bright and Numurkah will soon be closed in 
addition to Ascot Vale and Essendon in metropolitan 
Melbourne.

These post offices are to be converted to franchised Licenced 
Post Offices, a downgrading of the service.

"The closure of these post offices is another kick in the guts 
for regional Victoria", said Ken Moore, State Coordinator for 
Hands off Aussie Post. "It seems that Australia Post hasn't heard 
the message from the recent Victorian State election.

"Country people have clearly said that they have had a gutful of 
closures and privatisations in their communities. Australia Post 
must start listening to these concerns."

Mr Moore said that the proposed closures meant that increasingly 
Australia Post is offering only second class services to country 
Victoria. "Licenced Post Offices do not offer the same range of 
services that existing post offices deliver, nor is there the 
same level of expertise."

The closure of the post offices will lead to further job losses 
in local communities, as well as the downgrading of a vital 
service that all country Victorians rely on.

The CEPU has written to Australia Post demanding that it reveal 
its secret agenda for closures of other post offices across 
regional Victoria. Hands off Aussie Post and the CEPU are 
demanding that closures cease altogether.

The Howard Government's legislation to completely deregulate 
Australia's postal services goes before Parliament in the next 
few weeks and the union and Hands off Aussie Post are concerned 
that Australia Post has accelerated closures and the stripping 
back of services in the lead up to deregulation.

"And we know what comes after deregulation — the big sell off", 
said Mr Moore. "If this creeping privatisation of little bits of 
Australia Post continues, with one post office after another 
going to the private sector, soon there will be nothing much left 
of Australia Post."

The CEPU is calling on local councils and Federal and State MPs 
to support the retention of full postal services in the affected 
communities.

"Regional Victoria shouldn't be treated like second class 
citizens by Australia Post."

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