By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
CUSTOMERS are crying out for a post office or sub agency at Cranbourne’s new Shopping on Clyde precinct, but Australia Post has turned down the request.
An Australia Post spokesperson told Star News, “While Australia Post will continue to monitor the needs of the Clyde community, we do not believe an additional post office is required at this point in time.”
Shopping on Clyde owner Jodie Mitchell from Clarkson Developments said she had been in talks with Australia Post for 12 months.
“We’re not getting very far,” she said.
“We get people asking us on our Facebook page, where they can buy a stamp or pay bills all the time.”
After being inundated with requests for a postal facility since the centre opened in December last year, Ms Mitchell has taken the concerns of Cranbourne and Clyde residents to the City of Casey.
“We’ve got a Tattslotto shop opening at the end of February, which we want to combine as a post office, sub agency and newsagency as well,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The post office currently in Clyde is very isolated, and there is no public transport to it, so we are putting together a petition for council.”
So far more than 1000 people have signed the petition for a postal agency.
Casey councillor Amanda Stapledon raised the issue at a council meeting on Tuesday 16 February, saying a post office at Shopping on Clyde is “desperately needed”.
“You have retirees who don’t always have a licence, so access to a post office is a problem,” Cr Stapledon said.
“Plus in a rapidly growing area, with no train and bus services and single-car families, you want a post office in a shopping centre, so customers have access to other services at the same time.”
Australia Post revealed there are currently six post offices within 10km of the Shopping on Clyde precinct. And a spokesperson said a number of factors were taken into consideration when determining whether a new post office was required in an area.
“These include the location and viability of existing outlets in the vicinity, population, demographics and the volume of business that is likely to be undertaken,” they said.
Ms Mitchell said the centre got around 8000 people through its doors each day.
“The centre is doing fantastic, we have 21 specialty shops as well as Coles and Kmart Tyre and Auto and a fish and chip shop will open soon,” she said.
What are your thoughts? Is a post office needed at Shopping on Clyde? Leave a comment below.
