Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to highlight the decline in basic services across rural and regional Australia, and my electorate of Dawson is not immune. Recently, a key Australia Post shop located in the main shopping centre of Mackay was shut down. Even though Australia Post assured locals that another branch was nearby, the former location had better access, especially for those with limited mobility and limited transport, the elderly and parents with bubs and children. My office has been inundated with emails and phone calls from locals expressing their anger and frustration. I have written to the Minister for Communications and expressed these concerns and I'm seeking answers and solutions. I am yet to receive a reply.

These services are not a luxury; they are a necessity. A second closure at Bloomsbury means residents must now travel to the nearby town of Midge Point, with services offered at reduced hours. This is simply not good enough. Communities in regional Australia should be afforded the same services as those who live in the city. These closures are just another slap in the face for our local residents, and the lack of response from the communications minister only the reinforces what we already know: Labor has no regard for rural and regional Australia.