Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the opportunity to speak when the Environment and Communications Committee tabled its report into Australia Post. Australia Post has been operating for over 200 years, and its value to the Australian community cannot be measured just in simple economic terms. For many years it literally united our vast continent through its mail service, and today it offers an array of products and services. What has not changed is its recognisable name and the association Australians have with it. Licensed post offices, or LPOs, are small post offices that function as franchises of Australia Post. Australia Post relies on LPOs all over Australia to ensure that they meet their customer service obligations, especially in rural and regional Australia. The Senate inquiry allowed issues to be explored in some depth and I am grateful for the information provided by LPOs all over the country.

Tonight I want to reiterate how important LPOs are to local communities all over Australia, especially in my home state of Tasmania. There are over 160 post offices in Tasmania, the vast majority of which are LPOs run by owner-operators. Like many small business people, they work long hours and struggle against larger competitors. In their case their head office and a large competitor are one and the same thing. This causes issues, many of which were brought to the attention of the Senate during the recent inquiry. I believe there is tripartisan goodwill across this place, the Australian Senate, to continue to work together to improve the situation of LPOs.

The end of the nine-month-long Senate inquiry is only the beginning of the work that needs to be done to help LPOs. There are a number of recommendations the government needs to act on immediately. These include an urgent independent review into the community service obligations of Australia Post, including the impact of any changes on LPOs, and an urgent independent audit commissioned by the Minister for Communications into claims by LPO licensees that payments made under the LPO agreement are not fair or reasonable. The Greens will maintain the pressure on the government to implement the committee's recommendations as a matter of urgency.

There are 107 LPOs located in rural and regional Tasmania. They are located in towns and communities that, over the last few decades, have seen services and facilities disappear. Many retailers have shut up shop, face-to-face banking through a local branch is no longer offered and they are lucky if they have a local GP they can access. The operators of LPOs go above and beyond sorting mail and parcels. They offer other postal services and, for example, help people navigate complicated forms that are essential to access services. They are central to their communities. LPO owners provide not only a valuable service but a friendly face.

Bob Richardson has one of those faces, albeit hidden by a white beard. Bob has been a tireless advocate for Tasmanian LPOs and a regular visitor to my office, advocating for all Tasmanian LPOs. Bob is the Tasmanian president of the Licensed Post Office Group, and my staff and I have appreciated the discussions we have had with Bob. I would urge all Tasmanian LPO operators to join the Licensed Post Office Group in their state. As an advocate, Bob is certainly providing value for money.

There is no doubt that the world of post is changing very rapidly. Parcels are becoming more predominant and the internet is dominating much of our communication. What cannot be forgotten amidst this technological change is that LPOs are still both an important part of the Australia Post network and a critical part of their communities. The LPOs do a terrific job, especially in rural and regional communities in my state. I look forward to meeting more Tasmanian LPO owners and ensuring the Senate inquiry's recommendations are taken up immediately by the government.