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

Armstrong Creek is in the heart of my electorate. While it was only gazetted in 2012, it is a rapidly growing community. At the 2016 census, Armstrong Creek had a population of 4,247. Today, only four years later, it's home to over 15,000 people. That's about the population of Broken Hill in New South Wales, or a little bigger than Sale in Victoria, but when it comes to post offices the people of Armstrong Creek have been forgotten. Let's contrast. Sale has four post offices and 13 postboxes. Broken Hill has four post offices and 25 postboxes. But Armstrong Creek has no post offices and only one postbox to meet the needs of more than 15,000 residents—and they're frustrated. They're fed up with the federal government's poor performance when it comes to postal services. Resident Julie Cree said: 'This is a real failure and it's made even worse with COVID because so many people are now buying products online. We are waiting in long queues at the Grovedale post office or outside the Waurn Ponds post office.' While tradies have managed to build thousands of homes across Corangamite over the past seven years, Australia Post can't even deliver a post office for a community that is set to grow to 50,000 people by 2040. To the people of Armstrong Creek: I hear your frustration and I urge Australia Post to establish a post office in Armstrong Creek now.