Regional Australia Institute wants country post offices to become communication service hubs

Article printed by ABC Radio Australia on March 10, 2015.

With the Australian Post having to change their business model to survive, the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) suggests an expansion of services for the regional Post Offices. With fewer letters being sent in the modern day and age, Australian Post has to adapt their business foundation to continue to survive in a world of couriers. However for regional Australia it is much more important than that.

The Post Offices are long serving and un-wavering pillars in a small town. They are often among the oldest businesses and buildings still standing. They provide a range of services to the towns that surround them. A possibility for Australia Post to explore would be to offer – in these regional Post Offices particularly – a more extensive range of services, including potential government face to face or identity related services. For much of regional Australia Post Offices currently act as administrative and communication points. To expand services in this area would be the most beneficial act for both Australia Post and for regional Australia Jack Archer, Deputy CEO of RAI, reports.

While the change of prices in stamps and mail services may help Australia Post in the short term, long term thinking is what is required which is why the expansion of services would be so beneficial, Mr Archer reports

“What I really want to see is us now putting in the effort to work out a long-term solution, and the government working out what the policy settings for that need to be, so Australia Post can adapt,” he said.

“We need to take the opportunity and the time we’ve bought as an opportunity to test some of these new options, because I don’t think there’ll be a need for a everyday letter service in the future, but there’ll definitely be a need for that regional network of communication services,” Mr Archer said.

Supporting Mr Archer’s perspective is Chewton Post officer owner Robert Palmer who speaks as the voice of Chewton, a small town in regional Victoria.