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By Melissa Meehan
In June, the Cardinia Shire Council wrote to Australia Post regarding the need to establish a new post office to meet the needs of growth between Pakenham and Beaconsfield.
Last week, the council received a response from Australia Post, saying it will continue monitoring growth, but at this stage had no plans to open an outlet in Lakeside.
While the letter acknowledges the continued development of the Lakeside area, Australia Post has decided to specifically review the access to retail postal services for residents of the Timbarra Estate in Berwick.
“When determining whether additional retail postal outlets are justified in a particular area, Australia Post takes a number of factors into account, including the location and viability of existing outlets and the volume of business likely to be transacted,” the letter says.
“Australia Post is always monitoring access issues in growing areas, in particular south-east Melbourne.”
Cardinia councillor Bill Pearson said he was disappointed by the lack of planning for an extra post office between Pakenham and Beaconsfield, but commended the owners of the Pakenham outlet for their recent expansion.
“They have done their best to make it better,” Cr Pearson said.
“It’s still a concern Australia Post is not looking at Lakeside, and has chosen to specifically focus on Timbarra – which isn’t even in our municipality.”
Regularly long queues at the Pakenham post office can be explained by the Pakenham area’s 11,000 residents having just one Australian Post outlet at their disposal.
Compare such to inner suburb Hawthorn, which has four post offices for its 36,000 residents. The 27,000 people living in Richmond can choose between five post office locations.
Large country locations like Ballarat and Bendigo are also well served. Ballarat boasts 11 post offices for its 88,000 residents, while it’s a similar story in Bendigo.
Cr Pearson said the lack of services in the growth corridor was disappointing as was the lack of vision from Australia Post.