By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Councillor Amanda Stapledon is continuing the fight to expand postal services in Cranbourne East and Clyde North after broaching the matter at the first council meeting for 2017.
At the meeting on Tuesday 17 January, Cr Stapledon moved a motion to have the council continue to advocate Australia Post for new postal services at Hunt Club and Selandra Rise shopping centres.
In December 2016, Cr Stapledon and council officers met with representatives from Australia Post who confirmed Shopping on Clyde would receive a PostPoint a year after the centre opened.
“Australia Post is pleased to advise that a range of postal products will be available at the Tatts Newsagency in Shopping on Clyde in the coming fortnight,” a spokesperson for Australia Post said.
A PostPoint, as opposed to a regular post office, will not provide bill paying services or the full range of post related merchandise.
Cr Stapledon said she was glad to have met with Australia Post and believes the area is in a good position to receive more new postal outlets.
“We need letter boxes, services and agencies and offices,” she said.
“Once they (Australia Post) came to Casey and saw Bunjil place and saw maps of Cranbourne East, they walked away with a sense of how they can make this possible.”
Cr Stapledon also said she would aim to get full post offices implemented rather than more PostPoints with minimal services.
“Because of the growth and location, challenges around road and public transport networks, new Australians yet to get licences or only having one car, plus retirement villages near the shopping precincts, we need post offices with full services,” she said.
However, a representative from Australia Post told The News that more full service post offices being established in the Cranbourne area is unlikely.
“There are six post offices within 10 kilometres of Shopping on Clyde,” the spokesperson said.
“Australia Post does not believe an additional post office is required at this stage and will continue to monitor the needs of the Cranbourne community and population growth in the area.”
