Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, the people of Armstrong Creek and I are feeling vindicated. We have stood firm and robustly demanded a post office for the rapidly growing community of Armstrong Creek. Since 2014, the community has only ever had one post box but no post office. Those in this community have been forced to drive to Grovedale or Geelong and stand in long queues to get their parcels and mail. This has been made significantly worse during COVID. This community has grown from around 5,000 to almost 15,000 in the past four years. They deserve their own post office.

Over recent months, more than 1,700 residents have signed our petition—a petition that has urged Australia Post to deliver a post office for their town. That's about one in every nine residents.

Today, it's my great pleasure to inform you that Australia Post committed, just this very morning, to opening a post office in Armstrong Creek. The post office will be located at the Armstrong Creek Town Centre and is set to open in July this year. It will provide a full range of postal services to the growing Armstrong Creek community, including mail and parcel services, identity services and over-the-counter financial services including a bank. So, while the decision is belated, I certainly congratulate Australia Post for its decision on this service. More importantly, I want to thank and congratulate the people of this amazing community. This is democracy at work.