Paralowie Post Office

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (15:31): I wish to share the story concerning the recent closure of the Paralowie licensed post office and the unhappiness felt in the aftermath. In bringing this to the chamber, may it serve as a warning to the 46 other members here that the same fate could easily befall a community that you represent. By way of background, this post office operated in the Paralowie Village Shopping Centre and closed its doors for the last time on 21 February.

To those unfamiliar, this was a licensed post office, similar to many operating in country towns, whereby a private operator delivers a service rather than Australia Post directly. In this case, the licence holder has chosen to retire, with the licence handed back to Australia Post rather than it being sold. I know the former operator well and make no judgement on him, and I point out that he has been exemplary in supporting our local community.

When the news was broken to me by a staff member of Australia Post, I asked if it would be possible for a new licence to be granted should an appropriate operator step forward. I asked this on 30 January and was told it would require a thorough analysis. You be the judge of this: a week later I received an email in reply advising me that it would not be viable. This is despite the fact that the growing suburb of Paralowie has over 17,000 people, and while we do not begrudge smaller communities I can think of many that can still support a licensed post office.

The shocking response also comes after news of a very reputable entity expressing interest in operating the post office just a few days after I posed the question. I will not divulge details, but I will point out that when I was studying marketing a thorough analysis was not something you reached a few days after a question was asked—especially after somebody approaches you in between. To be fair to Australia Post, I was told their decision in part was to support the viability of nearby licensed post offices. Granted, these small businesses need our support as well, but when I spoke to one of them they were deeply concerned at being overwhelmed at picking up a significant proportion of the now dispersed 17,000-strong customer base.

We can draw our own conclusions about whether the decision not to grant a new licence had already been made before someone came forward, but the fact remains that due to a business decision the people of Paralowie are now unfairly disadvantaged. In an attempt to try to show Australia Post that the customer base is still out there and that a new post office would be supported, I started a petition, politely asking that the decision be revisited. On 13 February (my birthday), the Mayor of Salisbury, Gillian Aldridge, and I stood at the Paralowie Village Shopping Centre to collect signatures. In just 2½ days 1,236 signed up, with strong support from not just Paralowie residents but also many from Burton and Salisbury North who were keen to add their name.

Our next step has been to present these to Mr Paul Graham, CE of Australia Post. I am very grateful to the federal member for Spence, Mr Matt Burnell, for cosigning my covering letter calling for a reversal of this position. As our letter points out, while the outcome may be seen as purely transactional, it represents the loss of a vital service so many rely on, including the elderly, people living with disability and those without easy access to transport. We feel it is unfair they should be disadvantaged because of a business decision in which the people of Paralowie, through no fault of their own, have been caught in the crossfire.

Regrettably, the closure of post offices is not something this house is unfamiliar with. Having said that, the circumstances I described, whereby a licence has been surrendered only for Australia Post to grant a new one, could be new territory. The people of Paralowie—indeed any community that suffers a similar fate—deserve a lot better than this and I hope others will heed this warning. We simply ask for fairness. Rather than an outright no, Australia Post should be open to granting a new licence based on merit rather than what appears to be a process with questionable due diligence.